


Death is only the end if you assume the story is about you.

by mylongestoof



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Autistic Carlos (Welcome to Night Vale), Best Friends, Bill Denbrough is an Idiot, Carlos in the Desert Otherworld, Cecil is an alcoholic sorry, Eddie Kaspbrak Lives, Established Carlos/Cecil Palmer, F/F, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, Male Friendship, Mike and Dana friendship???, Multi, Non-Human Cecil Palmer, Richie Tozier is a Good Friend, Slow Burn, Stanley Uris Lives, Typical Night Vale Weirdness, carlos and kevin are friends, every fandom needs a wtnv crossover, no beta we die like night vale community radio interns, now with lesbians, oops i might have made richie the bad guy lol, we stan Patty (haha) in this house
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 11:47:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 26,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22969495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylongestoof/pseuds/mylongestoof
Summary: On his way to Florida, Mike Hanlon finds himself in a very strange town that, geographically, should be nowhere near Florida. He decides to stay there and investigate this strange town called Night Vale, because something about the town seems...familiar. Plus, the very eccentric Radio Host seems to know more than he lets on.Meanwhile, Carlos, still trapped in the desert otherworld, finds two strange men in a strange cave, bloodied and claiming to be from Derry, Maine. With time so clearly on his side, Carlos decides to help them find their way out of the strange otherworld, while also searching for his own way out.(Will Update More Frequently due to...events)
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon, Carlos & Eddie Kaspbrak, Carlos & Kevin (Welcome to Night Vale), Carlos/Cecil Palmer, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Maureen/Michelle Nguyen (Welcome to Night Vale), Mike Hanlon & Cecil Palmer, Patricia Blum Uris/Stanley Uris
Comments: 34
Kudos: 63





	1. Whoever you are now, you are home

For all intensive purposes, Mike was going to Florida. He had all of his things packed up in his terrible, old car, and he had enough money saved up from his years of responsible money management. Getting out of Derry was like a breath of fresh air. Scratch that, it was like jumping into cold, perfect water, with friends all surrounding you. Oh, not a very good metaphor, was it?

Mike felt pretty good, intensive purposes aside (go away, intensive purposes, you are not welcomed here). He knew he was lucky to be on this Earth today, unlike two of his best friends. He knew he was probably better off than Richie, that poor son of a bitch. Mike couldn't imagine what he would do if he had lost someone as important as Eddie was to Richie. Intensive purposes now returning, Mike couldn't say that he had loved someone that much before.

His road trip to “Florida” was filled with thoughts like that. He was mourning over the loss of his friends, and mourning over their sadness and grief. He was mourning over Bill, and his charming and flirty tones over the phone, even though it was evident that he still had a wife. But most of all, he was mourning over the past. The past where Stan and Eddie were just kids, the past where they were still alive.

And all of a sudden, and somehow over the span of what could be one thousand years, Mike was not on his way to Florida. Instead, he was in a desert, and the radio he had once been listening to was buzzing with static that he did not like at all. Most people didn't like static noises, though, so Mike was not special there.

Mike lived in Derry for all of his life, so static was something that didn’t spook him (if clowns could move through static, that would be a different story). If he hadn’t lived in Derry, though, he would probably be sobbing in fear for an unknown reason. After all, one might not hear the words that are being spoken, but that does not mean that terror can’t travel through radio waves.

As he drove on that barren stretch of road, the feeling of unease and excitement grew in him. Mike had not yet noticed the sudden change in location, from green grass to desert. How could he? Could he notice through his eyes? No, of course not. It would be stupid to look through your “eyes”. 

Tired of the silence, the “eyes”, and the growing feeling of unease and excitement, Mike messed with the dials on his radio, hoping for a song that could drown out everything in his brain.

He did not find that. Instead, he found a man. He found a man speaking. He found a man  _ reporting.  _ So Mike listened.

“ _ As he drove on that barren stretch of road, the feeling of unease and excitement grew in him. Mike had not yet noticed the sudden change in location, from green grass to desert. How could he? Could he notice through his eyes? No, of course not. It would be stupid to look through your ‘eyes’.” _

Mike chuckled to himself. Another weird broadcast from a weird small town he would be passing through on his way to Florida, the sunshine state, where he was definitely driving towards at this very moment.

_ “Do not trust your eyes, listeners. They show you things that you don’t want to see. They show you existence. They show you pain. They show you...sight.”  _

Mike had to admit that this was getting a bit  _ too  _ weird for his taste. He moved his hand over the dial, but it did not touch. Something was stopping him. Like an invisible hand holding his own, telling him not to change the radio frequency.

_ “That has been a word from our sponsor, Optical Nerve. Continuing where we left off, a broadcast you most definitely heard, the Library is hiring a Librarian.” _

Mike couldn’t help but feel intrigued. This deep voiced fellow on the radio seemed like he was trustworthy and kind. It seemed like he could lead Mike into certain death and void, yet he’d still be okay with this.

_ “Not like those awful creatures who haunt the Library, but an actual Librarian. I hadn’t even heard of a Librarian until a few days ago, when Carlos, my wonderful, heroic, scientist boyfriend trapped in the desert otherworld told me about it for the first time ever!” _

There were many things that Mike didn’t fully understand from what had just been said, but he felt that if he continued to listen, he’d get an answer.

“ _ We were having our nightly call, and I said, ‘Carlos, the Library is hiring Librarians. What is your scientific take on that?’ Carlos was less than pleased, as everyone should be, until I read aloud what the ad specifically said. Then, he sounded relieved. ‘Cecil,’ He said. He said it like, ‘Cecil’. No, not like,  _ ‘Cecil’ _ , ‘Cecil’. Yes, like that. He said, ‘Cecil, they are asking for a normal, non threatening human or nonhuman to help out with organizing the library. Honey, this is good news! This means that the Library could be an actual Library!’ I, for one, was just excited to tell you this, listeners. I have yet to discover what an actual Library is, but I bet it is magnificent. Still I wonder, which is something I do often, who exactly will fill in this role? Will it perhaps be one of the many Night Vale citizens who live in this wonderful town, or an interloper who has just come from a far and terrible place. I have no idea, but now, I will take you to The Weather.” _

Mike listened to the music, The Weather, and in the distance, he saw a terrifying radio tower, and an equally terrifying water tower. He saw homes and buildings, he saw schools and houses that may or may not exist. He saw a large wall surrounding a bad park, and a large, glowing cloud (all hail). He felt the lingering effects of time from the sand strewn about from his fast car, and he felt...he felt something he never should have felt again.

He felt the pull of another creature. The reality changing properties of a creature he thought he had killed. With the news about the Library, and Mike now suddenly noticing that he was not on his way to Florida anymore, he decided to do what he did best. He decided to stick around and figure this out.

As The Weather played softly on the radio, Mike turned down a road that led to the town. And somewhere, in a recording booth, or in an old woman’s home, or in the hovering offices of the Sheriff's Secret Police, people smiled a smile that could have been good, bad, or both.

Welcome to Night Vale, Mike. Welcome to Night Vale.


	2. The Simplicity of Free Will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike formerly meets The Voice of Night Vale, and gets a place to stay.

Motels in Night Vale were very hard to come across. Mike drove all around the town, and yet he found nothing. Absolutely nothing. So much nothing that Mike wasn't sure that there was a motel in Night Vale in the first place! The man on the radio wasn't much help, either. He kept going on and on about Librarians, and desert other worlds, and the current Mayor. It was a bit frustrating to listen to so much of something, yet not know anything about it.

The sun was setting, as suns often did on Earth, and Mike was still alone, still in his car. A part of him wished that he hadn’t tossed all of the research he had acquired over the years. A part of him wished that his friends were here with him. He couldn't help either of those parts, unfortunately. That was also quite frustrating.

Before Mike knew it, the sun was completely gone, the voice on the radio had said his goodbyes, and he was in front of the liquor store. Mike wasn't one to drink, but this was different. It had been a very long afternoon. And also very short. He could not remember the past few hours. He could only remember that he thought they were long and boring.

Mike got out of his car, and he walked inside the store. The store looked relatively normal, save for the weird drink names. Mike didn’t remember any drink names called, “Infinite Liver Damage” or “Burning Sadness” back home. Just another weird occurrence to add to the list of weird occurrences.

Mike stared at the drinks, like they would do something, and he did not notice a man walking inside the store. He did not notice the man greet the woman at the front desk. He did not notice the man at all. Until the man was behind him. He lifted up his hand, and…

There was a tap on Mike’s shoulder. Mike turned around, and saw the man. He looked strange. His fashion sense was quite terrible, but radiant at the same time (so horribly wonderful). His face was many different things at once, and yet he could see only one face. Mike could only see one being.

“Excuse me, you’re in my way.” The man said, his smooth tone surprising him. The man's appearance was certainly deceiving. 

Mike moved to the side. He had heard that voice before. Where had he heard that voice? Had he seen those faces (that face) before? Why did it all seem familiar?

“The radio.” Mike mumbled. He saw the man grabbing the bottles (both Infinite Liver Damage and Burning Sadness, and another bottle called Alcoholism) and Mike frowned. “You’re the man on the radio.” Mike said, “The one talking about Librarians. I’m a Librarian.”

The man’s eyes widened in fear, and he backed up against the glass, terrified. Mike remembered that the people in this town were scared of a creature called a Librarian. _Good going_ , Mike thought to himself, _now you've scared the man on the radio!_

“I’m a normal Librarian.” Mike clarified, raising his hands to show that he was harmless, “A good one, even. A normal Librarian.”

“Oh,” He said, wary of him as if Mike should be the one that is terrifying, “You’re applying for the job, then?” His voice was different in public than on the radio. Not by much, but it was still different.

Mike shrugged, confidence surging in him suddenly, “Why the hell not. I don’t have a job, I don’t have a home. All I have is my car and this town.” Mike did not mention his friends. Why, he did not know. Perhaps them not being with him caused a bit more pain than he originally thought it would.

“No house?” He asked, bewildered, “If you have nowhere to stay, then you can stay at my house.” The word ‘house’ seemed deliberate. Like he carefully chose that instead of the multitude of other words meaning the same. Mike wanted to find out why.

“I don’t even know you.” Mike confessed.

The man juggled the bottles in his hands, shifting them between each other until he had a free hand, and he spoke, “I’m Cecil.” He extended said free hand, and Mike took it.

Then the feeling had returned, once more. The pull he had felt as a child, and as an adult, was there again. It was such a strange feeling, though. With Pennywise, with It, it had just been fear. Now it was a pot with many feelings. Mike could feel happiness, nostalgia, sadness, grief, and uncertainty, just to name a few. It felt like a human being, even though it wasn't.

Mike looked up at Cecil, their handshake seeming long but actually being a few seconds, and introduced himself, “Mike Hanlon.”

If this Cecil was like Pennywise, he didn’t show the usual signs. He could be something else entirely, and Mike’s intentions were to stick around and find out. Mike's intentions were, ironically, to see.

So Cecil bought his drinks, and Mike followed him outside. An agreement was made, and Mike had a new roommate. An agreement was made, and Mike had a new house. Mike hoped this agreement could lead to something interesting. Say, information, or (at the very least) a new friend.

Agreements aside, the drive to Mike's new home was as quick as the afternoon had been. Mike's first thought when entering the new house was, ‘Jesus Christ’. It was a bit messy, that is to say that it was unkempt. It looked like Mike’s room above the public bookshelves of the Library. Books and bottles were strewn about the place. Lots of notes were scattered everywhere, as if Cecil himself had been searching for something. Searching for an answer, or a way.

“So very messy.” Cecil mumbled to himself, a bit embarrassed. Such a weird thing for a seemingly omnipotent being to feel.

“It’s fine.” Mike said, “I can clean all of this up in no time.”

“No.” Cecil set his things down and quickly moved around the room, somehow cleaning up the mess and organizing at the same time with great speed. Mike watched in awe as he did this, as Cecil spun around the room in a clean cleaning frenzy. Mike only dreamed to achieve such fast cleaning.

When Cecil was finished, he left money on the counter, and walked back to his room with some books and his alcohol, “Order Big Rico’s if you want. They might deliver it. Maybe. I'm pretty sure he was erased from existence.” Then, he disappeared into his room.

The first thing Mike did was call Bill. It took a minute for the phone to actually call, and it was growling at one point, but Mike pushed it aside. He really needed to call Bill. Just to talk to him.

And thankfully, Bill answered.

“Mike.” He said, almost breathlessly. Mike felt his stomach churn, but he decided to ignore it. After all, he had so many new things to share.

“I’ve got a house now.” Mike said, “And I’ve abandoned my plans to live in Florida.”

“You’ve...why?” Bill asked, confused and slightly outraged.

“Because I’ve found a town, and it’s like Derry. It’s more than Derry!” Mike exclaimed, “Things are so weird here, and I’ve got to figure it out.”

Bill sighed, “Mike, it’s not fair for you to leave Derry only to go back to a different one. You’ve got to realize how crazy this sounds, right?”

Mike turned to look out of the window, where glowing lights that weren’t stars shone brighter than the street lights under them. In the distance, Mike could see the Arby's sign.

“I do.” Mike answered, “I’m a crazy man, Bill. You’d understand why I decided to stay here if you could just see how insane this place is! They’ve got, oh, I just can’t describe it, not over the phone. And I haven’t even scratched the surface about this town.”

Bill groaned, and then he swiftly hung up. Mike pulled the phone away from his ear and sighed. Of course he wouldn’t understand. Bill wasn't the one to spend twenty seven years in Derry. That had been Mike. Mike, who was all by himself. Mike, who dedicated his life to this. Mike, who had virtually nothing left before he came into Night Vale. Now, he got something back. Something he could understand, or at least try to.

So, of course Bill wouldn’t understand. And that was okay. He didn’t have to understand, because nothing could change Mike’s reasoning on this subject.

His phone buzzed, and Mike looked down at it. Bill was calling him back, but Mike decided not to answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One person commented, and that's enough for me to continue this. Anyway, I'm setting up a friendship between Mike and Cecil, so be prepared for Friendship Moments and Betterment.


	3. Velvet Darkness, Silken Light - Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We take a look at Carlos. And a few other people.

Carlos stepped out of his makeshift home, and looked around at the desert otherworld with a curious gaze. Just another day, upon the endless days lining up together to form endless months, years, decades, and so forth. Carlos hadn’t been here for a decade, though. At least, he was sure he hadn’t been in the desert otherworld for  _ that  _ long.

Scientifically, this place was great. So many strange things that Carlos couldn’t understand, and so many things he could learn. But emotionally, he felt...well, Carlos didn’t know. Conflicted, for sure. But the other emotions were confusing, and Carlos didn’t understand them.

Things here in the desert otherworld were okay. Doug, Alicia, and the Masked Army were always running off to fight wars, but they always returned, although more bloodied and with less members. Kevin seemed to be better, though it was a bit weird to have Cecil’s double constantly over your shoulder. It was still better than what he was before, and Carlos had to appreciate that.

Today, though, it seemed like Kevin was building something. Carlos had a feeling that he shouldn’t be bothering Kevin, so he left him to his own devices, and moved around the area he now called home. He studied the composition of the rock surrounding him, and then he got bored and studied the sky.

Some stars were still visible during the day. They, like all of the other stars in the desert otherworld, were not the stars he had seen in Night Vale. They were not like the stars that were in the normal world. Nothing was like the normal world.

For most of the day, Carlos bumbled around, useless. Cecil had to work, so he couldn’t call or text. When he tried to take pictures with his phone, the screen would bleed or flies would crawl out of his case, so he couldn't do much there either. As much as he liked the desert otherworld and the people in it, he still got quite lonely.

Kevin had made a nice friend. He was vastly different from Cecil (so much so that Carlos would never compare the two as anything but very similar in appearance), but he still made a good friend. A best friend, even. Carlos was suspicious, though, that Kevin saw more in that sometimes. Maybe he saw something that wasn't true or that was twisted in the way he saw the world. Carlos just didn’t have the heart to tell him outright, and he never would, but it was easy to ignore. Almost everything was easy to ignore in the desert otherworld. 

Except the heat. Night Vale was so hot sometimes, but Carlos missed the heat in Night Vale so much. At least it was relieved with cool buildings, soft drinks, and the shade caused by the numerous amounts of helicopters in Night Vale.

Not in the desert otherworld, though.

Carlos sometimes wished he could get back to Night Vale. Not all of the time, though. He thought that his brain just reasoned that it would be helpful if he didn’t hope for something that couldn’t be obtained, but his brain was wrong.  This desert otherworld was interesting. Not as interesting as Night Vale, but it was interestingly different. Carlos had come to some point of understanding with Night Vale. He now accepted things he would never accept when he worked elsewhere.

Carlos contemplated this a lot. He contemplated why he was thinking the way he was, and how, or  _ if,  _ he could change it. He loved Cecil, of course. Did he love Night Vale? That answer was a hard maybe. Cecil was a definite yes, though.

The dusty air didn’t seem to bother Carlos as he paced around, deep in his thoughts. He didn’t even seem to notice how it dirtied his lab coat. He didn’t seem to notice how it kicked up rather suddenly, causing him to aimlessly walk in a direction he didn’t realize he was walking in.

It wasn't until it was really bad when Carlos noticed. He could hardly see a foot in front of him, and he was suddenly coughing and choking on sand. Sometimes, scientists could be stupid. This was a specific instance where it could be seen.

Carlos did all that he could to escape the situation. He covered his face and ran in a random direction, hoping to find a shelter of some sort. And he did, rather quickly. He ran into a cave that was very dark. He ran as far as it would allow him, and then he saw that he was shrouded in darkness. Now, he could breath, so that was good. It was a starting point. A point where he could figure out how to get out of the cave.

Carlos touched the cave walls, and walked, hoping to see if the cave ever ended. In Night Vale, caves were places where people were held against their will. Perhaps it would be the same, Carlos thought, even though he knew in his heart it wouldn’t be.

He walked for about five minutes, until he saw a faint light. It was so faint, and it wouldn’t usually be detected by normal eyes in normal light, but the pitch blackness of the cave made it so.

Carlos smiled hopefully, and walked slowly towards it. Seeing was still a hard thing to do, so he kept his hands on the cave wall. It was completely possible that the light could be miles away, just reflected. Still, it was a start. And Carlos didn’t want to go back, where the sandstorm was.

But it wasn't that far. In fact, a turned corner revealed a chasm, where a small fire stood with two people sitting, watching it. Carlos didn’t want to alert them of his presence, so he crouched down, as he was now in a good light, and crept closer. 

The two people, presumably humans, weren’t speaking. Carlos could barely see their faces, as they were turned mostly away from him, but they looked...sad. Their eyebrows and mouths were turned down, and their silence had a sad musk to it.

Carlos stood up suddenly, and quietly, and the two people still didn’t notice him. What would he say? Could he just leave them and head back outside?

It was probably a bad idea to do that, so Carlos tried to open his mouth to speak. Nope, it was not a speaking moment for Carlos. God, why did he have to be this awkward? He had to speak to them at some point. The likelihood that they would understand ASL was low, so that wouldn't be useful at all.

Carlos raised his hand in a silent wave, still terribly awkward, and said, “Excuse me.”

They (the presumed humans) both turned to look at him suddenly, and Carlos jumped. They looked scared, angry, and surprised. Carlos raised his other hand in surrender, and laughed very awkwardly, “I’m also stuck in here, b-by the way.”

The person on the left, whose beard was slightly overgrown and whose arms were covered in dry blood, sighed, and patted the cold ground beside them, “Just...sit down.”

The other person stared at Carlos as he sat down, wary of a stranger, as they should be. He had blood on his face and (even more) dried blood in his shirt. Strangely, Carlos was used to this after living with Kevin for so long. Carlos crossed his legs, and straightened his lab coat before he looked at the fire, and spoke.

“So, what are your names?” Carlos asked.

The person beside Carlos, the one who invited him, said, “Stan.”

“And your pronouns?”

“He/him.” Stan answered.

Carlos smiled to himself. As terrifying Night Vale was, their inclusiveness and support topped all other towns. No one would bat an eye at a gay scientist, a gay radio host, or even an eighteen foot tall five headed dragon. He was glad that it was customary to ask for someone's pronouns before you really spoke to them.

Now Carlos missed Night Vale again. Now he missed Cecil more.

“I’m Carlos.” Carlos said, “Also he/him. I am also a scientist, so I would like to ask you two a couple of questions.”

The person sitting across from the fire spoke for the first time, but it was not an introduction. They said, “You’re probably dead, Carlos. Just like the rest of us.”

Carlos chuckled, “I’m not dead.”

Stan sighed, “Don’t listen to Eddie. He’s just being pissy.” Stan glared at Eddie, then turned to Carlos, “We’re both dead, and we were in the desert outside until a dust storm kicked up. We were both near the cave, so we walked inside. I got here first, and the fire was already lit. And Eddie, he...came soon after. So, we’re kind of just sitting here, since this appears to be the afterlife.”

Carlos hummed scientifically, “This could certainly be an afterlife. But I haven’t died yet. And, I’ve still got my phone.” Carlos pulled out his phone, and showed it to Stan.

“How do you know it works?” Stan asked, staring at it strangely, full of doubt.

Carlos turned it on, and called the first person on his contact list, which had been Cecil. It rang for a second, before Cecil’s voicemail started.

“ _ You have reached the voicemail of Cecil Gershwin Palmer. This might seem like an easy thing to do, but think about how long you had to stay alive just to learn how a phone works or who I am. Cong- _ ” Carlos hung up, and felt a little bit prideful of Stan’s very surprised reaction.

“Eddie,” Stan said, almost breathless, “His phone works.”

Eddie was watching the two intensely, before rolling his eyes and scoffing, “It’s probably not real, Stan. Just another thing, like the fire.”

Stan sighed quietly, and leaned closer to Carlos so he could speak more privately, “Just...ignore him. He’s not reacting well to this.”

Carlos nodded, “Well, I certainly wouldn’t. If you don’t mind me asking, how did you die, Stan?”

Stan leaned back, rubbing his neck, “Well, you wouldn’t believe it. It’s a...complicated story that doesn’t sound real at all.”

Carlos thought back on the first time he said that. It was to his parents, whom he couldn’t explain what exactly Night Vale was. Carlos was then reminded to call them. He’d do that later, of course.

“I think I would believe it.” Carlos answered, “I’m a scientist, after all. I’ve seen a lot of very strange things.”

Stan shook his head, “It’s best if I don’t delve into it here. It might ruin all of this. It might...Eddie, are you sure you don't want to see this phone? It really looks and seems real.”

Eddie shook his head, and looked away from the fire, and towards the wall where their shadows danced with the flickering light source. If Stan wasn't going to tell him, then Carlos decided to try to convince him that he was worthy of such information.

“I understand.” Carlos said, “I was like that, once. I was wary of what I would say and how it would affect things. I am, and I am saying this once again, a scientist, after all.” Carlos smiled sadly, “Sometimes I have to keep things hidden from people because I think it would help. It probably isn’t the best idea, because I could be wrong, even  _ though  _ I am a scientist. Still, I do it anyway, because I think it’s a good idea right now. And if I am wrong, I will say exactly that to defend myself.”

“Are you sure you didn’t die?” Eddie asked, “You don’t even remember anything  _ like  _ dying?”

Carlos shook his head, “No, I’m sure I didn’t die.”

“What were you doing before this, then?” Stan asked, now curious.

“To be quite honest,” Carlos began, “It’s hard to explain. I’d have to go all the way to the beginning, and that was about...three years ago.” Carlos shook his head again, “Better if I don’t.”

Stan scoffed, “I see what you’re doing here.”

Carlos smiled wickedly.

“Fine,” Stan said, “I’ll tell you how I died, in exchange for how you d-got here.”

Carlos nodded, and looked down at Stan’s offered hand. He usually didn’t do handshakes very often, but he felt like this was an important deal, so he took it, and shook Stan's hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news: Eddie and Stan are dead but also alive? Bad news: Is Carlos dead and also alive too? I don't know, stick around to find out, I guess. The logistics of how this is happening is not clear to me either, by the way.
> 
> I split this up into two parts for some reason.


	4. Velvet Darkness, Silken Light - Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos learns about what happened to Eddie and Stan. Cecil calls.

“I have a question.”

Carlos turned to look at Eddie. Stan promised him that he would tell Carlos how they ended up here, for scientific purposes, but it seemed, strangely, like it was weeks ago. Still, Carlos was happy to answer any questions these strangers might have for him.

“Ask away, Eddie.” Carlos said, politely.

“You aren’t weirded out about the blood?” Eddie asked, “I mean, it’s not every day you see things like this.”

Carlos hummed, trying to rack his brain for an appropriate response that wasn't, ‘ _ My best friend is usually covered in blood.’ _

“I’m very used to seeing strange things.” Carlos answered, “I used to live in a weird town, but seeing as we’re all trapped in the desert underworld, then...I guess we don’t live where we used to live.”

Carlos didn’t like that thought. He was getting pretty tired of this place, and he wanted desperately to go back home to Night Vale, to Cecil. But there was no way. Carlos had looked, despite what Cecil may think, and he found nothing. No way to return back to Night Vale. It saddened him, yes, but Carlos wouldn’t let that get in the way of scientific discovery.

“Carlos.” Stan said, interrupting his monologuing. 

Carlos jumped at the sudden mention of his name, “Yes?”

“You...never-mind. You lived in a weird town too, huh?” Stan asked, smiling slightly. Perhaps he found comfort in knowing that someone else had gone through what he went through.

“Yes, I did.” Carlos reiterated, “Believe me when I say that blood doesn’t scare me much anymore. I’ve seen enough of it.”

Eddie seemed to find that answer satisfactory, “Well, okay then. Would you like to do the honors, Stan?”

Stan sighed, and began to tell Carlos the story of their childhood. He told Carlos about their hometown, Derry, and the terrible things that happened there. Stan told Carlos about the missing children, Henry Bowers, and Pennywise. He told Carlos about how they left, and how they all forgot, until it was time to return once more, and how Stan took himself ‘off the board’.

Carlos found it very interesting, to put the least. A bit terrifying, to say the least, but  _ so very  _ interesting. He wondered, briefly, how such a thing like Pennywise could exist, until he remembered Cecil, and Station Management, and City Council, and a million other people or entities who could do roughly the same thing. Scientifically, it would make sense for terrible and odd things to be outside of Night Vale.

“So you did indeed die?” Carlos asked Stan, “You remember dying?”

Stan nodded, “Yeah. I remember everything going black, like I slowly fell asleep, and then I woke up here. Still bloody, but...clothed, weirdly.”

“And you remember dying?” Carlos asked Eddie, swiftly turning towards him.

Eddie nodded, looking off in the distance at something that couldn’t be seen by their eyes, “Practically the same as Stan.”

“He got killed by It.” Stan explained, “It was very brave of him, but...he ended up dying, so I don’t think he feels very brave about it.”

“You don’t need to be analyzing me all the time, Stan.” Eddie snapped. Stan just simply rolled his eyes, and turned back to Carlos.

“What about you?” Stan asked, “How did you get stuck here?”

“I went into a house that doesn’t exist, which is a portal to this desert. Then I couldn’t get out of the desert. Still, I have my phone with me, so it’s not all bad.”

Stan chuckled, “I’m not sure what you mean, but...I’m sure I’ll get it later.”

All of a sudden, ringing erupted from Carlos’ phone. It was a very technical ring, that could only be described as ‘block-like’. It could also be described as ‘Cecil’s ringtone’, as proven by the name that accompanied it. Carlos smiled, and quickly answered, backing up from Eddie and Stan to excuse himself as much as he could.

“Cecil!” Carlos exclaimed, happy to be talking to his boyfriend once again, “Hi!”

_ “Hey, Carlos. I know it’s kind of hard to get a hold of you in the desert otherworld, but you’ve missed every single call for the past four days. Are you alright?” _

Carlos blinked. Had he been in here for four days? Well, time in this desert otherworld moved  _ very  _ slowly compared to Night Vale, so that might explain something.

“I’m sorry,” Carlos said, “For me, we spoke earlier this morning. And I haven’t received any notifications from you, or anyone else.”

_ “Oh...well, are you okay? Is everything alright over there? Have you found a door or something?” _

Carlos sighed sadly, “No, I’m sorry, Cecil, I haven’t. I’ve been looking but I can’t find anything. But I’m fine. I’ve just found more people from outside of this place, but...to be honest, I’m not sure how they got here. They’re not from Night Vale.”

_ “Maybe they are, but they can’t remember.”  _ Cecil offered.

Carlos shook his head, “No, no, they’re from Maine. It’s far away from Night Vale, trust me.” Carlos paused, before asking, “Is everything okay with you?”

_ “Yeah,”  _ Cecil answered quickly, more high pitched than normal,  _ “Oh, everything is fine with me, you don’t need to even ask. I’m just...worried about you. I miss you, Carlos.” _

Carlos felt his stomach drop. He missed Cecil too, very much. Carlos wished he had enough guts to actually tell Cecil about time here, but...it would hurt him, more than Carlos actually being gone. And the whole thing with Lot 37 was probably enough trouble for Cecil without Carlos adding on to it.

“I miss you too, Cecil. I love you.”

There was a pause, before Cecil spoke in the most warmest tone Carlos had ever heard,  _ “I love you too, Carlos. I love you a lot.” _

Carlos felt himself smiling, “Well, I promise I’ll call you later. I’ve got to help the new people. And I’ll keep looking.”

_ “Bye, Carlos.” _

“Bye, Cecil.”

Carlos hung up, and turned his attention back to Eddie and Stan. Stan was watching the fire, and minding his business, but Eddie was staring at him again. Oh boy, Carlos hoped that he hadn’t done anything that would offend him. He really didn’t want to deal with that.

“Well, we should get out of here.” Carlos said, standing up suddenly. 

“There’s a way out? What about the sandstorm?” Stan asked.

“It’s probably over by now.” Carlos said, “We’ve been in here for a long time. And if not, then I bet we’ll be fine either way. I’ve traveled through a few sandstorms myself.”

Eddie stood up, and nodded, “Well, I’m ready to get out of here. What about you, Stan?”

Stan chuckled, and stood up with him, “Of fucking course I am. Lead the way, Carlos.”

Carlos smiled, excited to show everyone the newest addition to their little survivor group. Carlos picked up a torch that was conveniently placed near the fire, and lit it, ready to go.

“When was that here?” Stan asked, scratching his head. Carlos paid no attention to him, and began to lead the small group through the tunnels of rock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that took a long time to update. As you know, with current news, things have been pretty crazy. I am, unfortunately, one of those people who have to be particularly careful to make sure I don't, erm, get the tickets for The Backstreet Boys Reunion Concert (yes I watch Game Grumps, how did you know?!). But don't worry, this will not be the end. Sorry about the long wait. 
> 
> Question for you readers: Would you like to see how the other Losers are faring? Maybe Bill, or Richie? Would you like to see more of Bill, Richie, or the others in Night Vale? Let me know in the comments then. Thank you :)


	5. Librarians: can they kill your children? Yes.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike goes in for an interview.

Cecil had been quite the character, as Mike would find out. He was famous within the town of Night Vale. Everyone seemed to listen to his show, every night. Mike didn't understand why, but he planned to remedy that.

As it turned out, Librarians weren't like the types Mike was accustomed to. They weren't kind hearted book lovers, but in fact terrifying creatures who struck fear into the hearts of almost every Night Vale citizen, save for Tamika Flynn and her militia of book reading children. Mike had stumbled upon them when he went to be interviewed by the Mayor of Night Vale for the Human Librarian position.

"You." Tamika had said, launching a copy of  _ The Grapes of Wrath  _ towards Mike with a custom made book sling shot. Mike dodged it fairly well, but he cringed as it fell to the dusty ground, forever staining the pristine pages of the book.

"Me?" Mike asked, pointing to himself. He just wanted to get this job.

"We know what you came here to do." Tamika said, "We are here to warn you. Your title as Human Librarian won't stop you from being mauled by those  _ vile  _ creatures that haunt the Library."

"Warning received." Mike said, "I'm still going to apply for the job. It can't be that bad."

Tamika chuckled, surprisingly confident for a twelve year old, "You are an Interloper. You don't know about how different Night Vale is. But if you want the job, you can get it."

Mike opened his mouth to thank her for her endorsement, but she had already walked away. He watched the militia turn the corner and disappear. He stood there for a couple of minutes, waiting for something else to happen.

And something did happen. Just not in the way he expected it. Behind Mike, the door to City Hall opened, and a young woman walked out.

"Excuse me." She said, her voice small compared to the screaming sun behind Mike, "You are Michael Hanlon, correct?"

Mike turned around, and caught his first look at Night Vale's current mayor, Dana Cardinal. She was a bit shorter and younger than Mike thought she would be, but that didn't matter. He was happy that young people were getting involved in local government.

He nodded, "That's me. Mayor Cardinal?"

She nodded back, "That's me...I think. I might be Dana's double, but I'll never know." She sighed sadly, before suddenly perking up, "You're ready to start your interview!"

She opened the doors to City Hall to let Mike in, before closing them tight. Not a lot of citizens were allowed in City Hall, apparently. Mike didn't know why, and when he asked Cecil, Cecil gave him very cryptic answers.

"Legally, you would be working under me." Dana said, "I've done lots of research, and I think Night Vale should have what is normally known as a Librarian." She opened the door to her office, and Mike saw that the room was very messy.

The paperwork and books that Dana had were all lined up neatly on her desk, but the room itself was almost destroyed. Like something had come in to attack Dana.

"We were attacked by Antiques about a week ago." Dana explained, "We meaning...me. This whole thing with me being Mayor isn't very...Nice to some people, so they've been resorting to trying to kill me." 

Mike's jaw dropped, and Dana laughed, "It's no big deal. Such is the life of a mayor. Cecil was there to save me, though, and I thank him for that." Dana paused, "Even if he wasn't aware of it."

Mike didn't know what that meant, so he just nodded along politely, hoping to get this interview out of the way.

"Well, enough about me." Dana waved her hand, and picked up a file, "Let's talk about you." She opened it and skimmed through the words, "Well you certainly are qualified. You've had about twenty years experience with Libraries. This should be a piece of cake for you. Well, if the cake wasn't a lie." Dana laughed at her own joke, and set the file down.

"So, that's good then?" Mike asked.

Dana nodded, "Very good. But...I have a question to ask you."

Mike picked at the bottom of his shirt, suddenly uncomfortable, "Uh, Yes?"

"You live with Cecil now, and I was wondering...how is he?"

Mike didn't know if it was his place to tell Dana about his roommate. Mike didn't know if it was his place to  _ not  _ tell the Mayor about one of her citizens.

"He's...not dead." Mike offered.

Dana smiled, "That's good to know. I doubt Night Vale would be happy if a ghost was the voice of the town. It would be a  _ major  _ turn of events."

Mike nodded, before getting the courage to ask his own question, "What is with this town and the radio show?"

Dana shrugged, "We've all been listening to it our entire lives, and Cecil's been there. He's like our very own reality TV show, if that makes sense. Ever since Carlos came into town a few years ago, everyone's been interested in his life a lot more."

Mike remembered Cecil talking about Carlos on the radio when he first drove into the town. He remembered exactly what Cecil said about him.

"Everyone's just interested in his personal life?" Mike asked, dumbfounded.

Dana nodded, "That's pretty much it. And Cecil gives us the news around town. Honestly, I have no idea how he gets news so quickly. He never leaves the station during the work day. And, well, let's face it, no one is lining up to be the new Intern over there."

Mike could understand that. Living with Cecil for the past four days had been...weird. Cecil was a strange man with strange habits. Not to mention the whole thing with the mirrors. 

"So, do I have the job?" Mike asked.

Dana nodded and handed him an ID card for the Night Vale Library, "Yes, sir, Mr. Hanlon. You are officially Night Vale Library's Head Human Librarian. I'd suggest you gear up for your first day tomorrow. Make sure to get lots of guns." 

Mike, having only defeated Pennywise twice in his life (the most recent using words), thought that he would be prepared without the need for guns. Dana offered her hand for a Mayoral Handshake, and Mike took it.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow in front of the Library.” Dana said, smiling.

Mike left City Hall feeling very proud of himself. He decided that he would go to Big Rico’s to celebrate his new job with a bowl of tomato sauce and cheese, since Wheat and Wheat By-Products weren’t allowed within City Limits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the quote is "Alligators: Can they kill your children?" But I had no creative title today, so I just whipped that up.


	6. Anything you want to be possible is possible...as long as you don't think about it too hard.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill goes to LA, then finds a town in the desert.

Bill was an idiot. He had done many stupid things in his life, but this, so far, has been the most smartest decision Bill had ever made in his life.

Bill was on an airplane, heading towards California. He had been near New York City since the events that took place in Derry, helping plan Eddie's funeral (big mistake on Bill's part, Myra was a nightmare) and comforting Patty, who was curious to find out what happened during Stan's childhood. He had, in a way, been dealing with the deaths of his best friends.

But then Mike had to go find yet  _ another  _ weird town to fix. Bill was not going to let that happen. He was not going to let Mike fix everyone else’s problems. Bill wanted Mike to finally relax and find something else to do with his life. And yes, Bill really,  _ really  _ wanted to be right next to him the entire way, but there was no way that any of it could happen with Mike in Night Vale.

So Bill was planning to stage an intervention. They had all done it before, with Richie, right after Eddie’s death. They had all told him that he needed to get help, and he needed to move on, and it worked, for the most part. Sure, Richie was still heartbroken, but he was slowly becoming their Richie again. So why not try it again? It took Bill a series of seven calls (most were for Richie. He had terrible cell service, for some reason) to get most of the Losers Club rounded up again, this time in Richie’s apartment in LA.

Getting off at LAX was a nightmare, as Bill would expect. A few people recognized him and asked for a photo, but other than that, most of the problems were just traffic. Finding Richie’s apartment had taken Bill twenty more minutes than it should have, and Bill was tired and gross.

But seeing his friends again made it all worth it. The group hug he had received made almost everything okay, and it made Bill forget about Mike just for a second.

“It’s good to see you guys.” Bill said, smiling at his friends.

“Even me?” Richie asked, “I’m sure one look at this ugly mug will make you run for the hills.” Richie slapped Bill’s shoulder, and cackled. The joke wasn't even that funny. In fact, it was a bit concerning.

Still, Bill rolled his eyes, “Prolonged exposure during childhood has made me stronger against the effects.” He answered, in a deadpan tone. 

Beverly pushed Richie away, and hugged Bill, “It’s great to see you too, Bill. I’m sad Mike couldn’t make it. I tried asking him where he was and if he was coming, but it’s been difficult to get through to him. Florida must be one hell of a state.”

Bill frowned, “Really?”

Ben nodded, “I tried to call him once, and my phone literally deleted his contact.”

“Well, then it must be a haunting, guys. Gotta get our fucking ghost gear and rescue Mike, again.” Richie made finger guns and shot them at Bill, Beverly, then Ben.

“I think you just deleted your contact, honey.” Beverly said, softly, “And if it continues to be a problem, you can just get a new phone.”

“I guess.” Ben said, “But it was weird.” He paused, looking around at the other Losers, “Yeah, it’s probably just me.”

Bill shook his head, “No, Ben might have a point. Mike’s got himself mixed up in another town again. Like Derry.”

It was times like these where Bill wished he had a camera to record people’s reactions. It was so genuine and sincere that it frankly scared Bill to be in the room. All of their faces fell, and they all stared at Bill, hoping for him to say it was a joke.

“We killed Pennywise.” Beverly said, jaw and fists clenched. Ben held her arm tightly, and nodded along to what she was saying. Richie was just silent.

“Well, I don’t think it’s Pennywise this time.” Bill said, “It’s just...Mike was going to Florida, right? So he should have been in Florida. But he ended up in the desert in some town named Night Vale, and he said it was more than Derry and that he was going to get to the bottom of it.”

Richie stood up, and excused himself for the bathroom, presumably to throw up. Beverly sighed, and lifted her hands to her head, “Bill, we already did this again. Why should we go back?”

“Because it’s Mike!” Bill yelled, “He brought us back together. We don’t have to kill another Pennywise. We just have to bring him back.”

“He’s right!” Richie shouted from the bathroom, before hurling into the toilet. They all cringed, and waited for Richie to come out of the bathroom to continue the conversation.

When Richie did come out, he stayed standing, leading on the kitchen counter, "We should go after Mike. If it was...he’s our friend." Bill vaguely wondered what Richie was going to say.

Ben rubbed the back of his neck, "Oh, I don't know. I mean, both Bev and I have important work to do, and whatnot."

"Richie and I can go ahead." Bill said, before turning to his friend, "Right, Richie?"

Richie nodded, "Been meaning to go on a little vacation, anyway. What's another town that can and will probably kill me?" Richie laughed at his joke, but no one else did.

"Are you sure?" Beverly asked, "I don't want you to go if it's-"

"Homophobic?" Richie guessed, "It's not like they know me there. And therapy has been going well, so far. I doubt it'll be as bad as last time."

Bill nodded, "Thank you, Richie. Thank you, well, everyone."

"Come on, we wouldn't leave Mike behind. Not again." Ben said. 

Bill sighed, "You're right."

The following day, Richie and Bill drove off into the desert in hopes of finding this elusive town. All research that Bill had done in the past week or so had produced little results. It brought up a few reports, one Tumblr account, and a missing persons case for a man named Carlos. 

Bill had looked Derry up on the internet when Mike first called them, and he had found more than this. These papers and web articles from 2012 were hardly useful. It was the missing persons case that provided the most detail.

"His last known whereabouts were around this area." Bill explained to Richie, who was driving. Bill had marked the map that morning with a big circle, enough to fit a town and more. Most of this was purely speculation, but Bill was still holding out hope.

"Who's? Mike's?" Richie asked.

"No, no. This Carlos guy." Bill explained, "He went missing about four years ago."

"So, you think he's...eaten?" Richie asked. Bill shrugged, and they continued driving. 

They must have driven for hours, until Richie's car was almost out of gas, in a straight line. It was physically impossible, Bill knew that, but it still happened.

Then, almost like magic, a town appeared on the horizon. One tall radio station tower blinked slowly, and the sun casted long,  _ long  _ shadows on the earth.

"This it?" Richie asked, as they passed a sign that said  _ 'Welcome To Night Vale! All Hail The Mighty Glow Cloud!'. _

Bill nodded, "You know, it probably is." He pulled out his phone to call Mike, and it actually went through this time.

_ "This is Mike Hanlon."  _ Mike said, over the phone.

"Mike, it's me, Bill. Where are you right now?"

_ "What do you mean where am I? I'm in Night Vale. Is this about our little spat? Bill, I told you that I wasn't leaving. I already have a job here, an important job!" _

Bill groaned, "Mike, just tell me where you are.”

“Ooh, lover’s spat.” Richie teased. Bill glared at him, and waited for Mike to answer him.

_ “I’ll text you the address. I doubt you’ll be able to send anything. The mailman is fast, and I can never catch him.” _

“I don’t know what that means.” Bill admitted, “But...whatever. Okay, so...bye.”

_ “Bye, Bill.” _

Mike hung up and Bill sighed. This was getting frustrating. Why didn’t Mike see how dangerous this was? Did he want to end up like Eddie and Stan? Richie glanced over at him, and  _ tsk- _ ed. 

“What?” Bill snapped.

“First off, chill.” Richie said, “Secondly, I think I might have some insight to your problem, if you’d just explain it to me.”

Bill shook his head, “I doubt you’d have any experience with this, Richie.”

“Yeah, totally, because I wasn't pining over my best friend for twenty-seven plus years.” Richie sighed, and shook his head, “Come on, Bill. I know I can help you. Please just  _ let  _ me help you.”

Bill felt bad now. He shouldn’t look down on Richie like that. The man had been through a lot, and was now trying to become the person he wanted to be. Bill nodded, “Fine.”

Richie smiled, “Awesome.” He flexed his fingers on the steering wheel, and took a deep breath, “Okay, so, have you tried thinking about  _ why  _ Mike would want to be here?”

Bill shrugged, “I just assumed...mind control, or something.”

“Fuck, you’re dense.” Richie mumbled. Bill opened his mouth to defend himself, but...Bill was kind of dense. Bill himself knew that, and he accepted that. So he couldn’t argue.

“Maybe defeating Pennywise gave Mike the confidence to, I don’t know, believe in himself? I know, um, I know Eddie felt brave after he saved me, so maybe Mike feels like he can be meaningful doing what he has always done.”

Bill had to admit that Richie was growing emotionally. The Richie he knew, from childhood, would have never done anything like this. Bill nodded his head in agreement, “Maybe you’re right. But I don’t want him to die, like...” Oh boy.

Richie winced, “Yeah, like Eddie. I get that, man, I do. But you don’t control him. If he wants to do this, then let him do it. We’re just here to try and convince him to come back.”

Bill was silent. Richie turned to him, his face more serious than Bill had ever seen, “Say it, Bill.”

Bill sighed, “Fine, fine. We’re just here to try and convince him. No kidnapping.”

Richie smiled, “Good.”

Bill’s phone beeped with the text notification from Mike. It was an address, in Night Vale. Bill smiled at his phone, and told Richie to pull the car over at the first sign of a person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just kind of popping these out as I go. By the way, this takes place in 2016 technically, which would be about the time as Carlos and Cecil get married in regular Night Vale canon (like December or November), but we're just going to move things forward a bit. Feel free to ask any questions and point out my inconsistencies!


	7. Patricia Blum Uris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patty's life after Stan's death, and some strange phone calls.

When Patricia married Stan, she thought they’d live and grow old together. It was natural for most married couples to think that, but Patty had been so sure of it. Stan was, in Patty’s opinion, her soulmate. She knew it was a bit cheesy, but she loved him more than words could describe.

When Stan suddenly got the call on the night it happened, Patty thought nothing of it. Sure, it was a bit strange that Stan was so distraught after that, but she assumed that it was just that. Distraught.

The night he died was the worst night of Patty’s life, up to that point. The nights that followed continued to be the worst night. For a week, she had sat in a hotel room, unable to go back to her home, mourning the loss of her dead husband. She attended his funeral, of course, but that was all she could do.

And then Bill Denbrough showed up.

Patty was not very interested in Bill’s books. She never liked horror and she thought his endings were a bit, well, bad. But Stan loved it. He ate it up like some fanboy, which was what Stan was. Sure, Stan agreed that Bill’s books had the worst endings, but he accepted that for what it was and enjoyed the story.

“Not everything has to have a happy ending, Patty.” Stan had told her.

Now, everytime she thinks about that, she cries.

Bill Denbrough arrived at her hotel one night, and explained everything that had happened. He explained the clown, the sewers, the terrible childhood, and he explained how they defeated It, thanks to Stan.

Bill said Stan was a hero. Patty couldn’t agree with that, but she didn’t have the heart to tell Bill that she didn’t agree. She wasn't the only one affected by his death.

Bill promised Patty that he would be there for her, and Patty took him up on that. For the next month, she got her life back together, with the help of Bill and his friends. She sent them Stan’s letters, she canceled her trip to Buenos Aires, and she went back to work.

Nothing could quell the pain in her chest for her deceased husband, but she couldn’t let it overtake her. She had to be strong. She  _ wanted  _ to be strong.

Bill became Patty’s best friend after that. They talked all the time, and they shared things about their lives that normally they wouldn’t share. Bill confided in Patty about Mike, and Patty offered him the support and advice he needed. Patty talked for hours about Stan, and Bill was there to listen and laugh with.

When Mike moved, Patty thought little of it. Sure, she was sad for Bill because he had loved the man, but Bill was very rich and wealthy. It shouldn’t have been a problem to get a plane ticket, or even move to where he was. The problem, according to Bill, was the town. It was apparently like Derry, and even though Patty didn’t know what that meant, she knew it was bad. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any good advice on that.

Richie did, though. Patty’s thoughts on Richie Tozier were...well, a little biased. She didn’t appreciate the things he said on his shows and tours, but Patty came to find out that Richie didn’t write any of that at all. Still, she was very wary of the man, and it certainly surprised her when she found out that he was going to accompany Bill to get Mike.

She didn’t feel betrayed or anything like that. Bill had literally six best friends during childhood, that’s more than Patty ever had. She just didn’t exactly trust Richie, or the town, to take care of her best friend. 

Not to mention the weird calls she has been receiving. The number had an area code from California, but the calls were all just static. Well, most of them were, but there was one call that was different. 

Her phone rang, and Patty was getting a tiny bit annoyed. She swore that this was the last time she would answer, then she would block the number. When she answered, it was just static.

“Stop calling me!” Patty demanded, suddenly, and inexplicably, mad.

_ “-tty! Don’t hang u-”  _ Static.

Patty dropped her phone. It sounded so much like Stan. Patty shook her head; that was impossible. Stan was dead. He had been dead for a year. Patty picked the phone up.

“S-Stan?” Patty asked.

Static.

“This isn’t funny!” Patty yelled, “Stop it, now!”

_ “-lease, it’s me. Sta-” _

Patty closed her eyes and hung up. Was it Stan? It had to be, he was saying it was. Patty had heard the insane things from Bill, so it could be true, right? It had to be.

Patty walked over to her computer, and booked tickets to a town called Night Vale. She had to talk to Bill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been two weeks. Sorry. Back at it again, though, haha.


	8. Together, Here As Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike answers the door.

Mike knew something was up. Bill was acting strange, and the air in Cecil’s house seemed very... _ different.  _ He had been in Night Vale long enough to know that when your gut was telling you something, you ought to listen to it. And Mike’s gut was telling him that something had changed. For a second, Mike thought that maybe Carlos had come back, but Mike checked the radio show and Cecil was still droning on about the most recent PTA meeting, which only had five deaths this time. So Mike knew it couldn’t be that.

Maybe it was the PTA meeting itself. Maybe the lack of deaths had displeased the Glow Cloud (all hail) so it decided to go on an afternoon stroll in which dead animal carcasses fell from the sky. But no such rain happened. The sky was clear, and the sun wasn't screaming (which would be a pain, most days, but Mike found it comforting).

So Mike did what he had to do to distract himself, and he started cleaning. Mike knew it would take practice to do what Cecil had done on that first day, and so this was practice. The house itself was very clean, but a crumb of dirt here and a spec of dead skin there made Mike more the fantastical pick up man he wanted to be.

Speaking of pick up, the doorbell rang and Mike’s immediate thought was, “Oh good, my UberEats is here” even though he had not ordered anything, and UberEats was not allowed within the city limits of Night Vale. Mike didn’t catch this until he waltzed over and opened the door, smiling from ear to ear.

“He-Bill?” Mike asked, seeing Bill and Richie stand in front of him. He suddenly realized why Bill had asked where he lived, and his face contorted into a grimacing glare. Mike was Upset.

“Uh, hey Mikey.” Bill said, “I just, er, wanted to see this town. I wanted to understand why it was weird and I thought I could apologize.”

Mike nodded curtly, “Sure. Why is Richie here then?”

“You know,” Bill offered, even though Mike did not know, “Richie’s kind of been my...best friend at this point. And I needed some support, like he did.”

The glare Richie gave Bill told Mike all that he needed to hear. Mike stepped aside, and let them in, nodding slightly at Richie. Bill took in the clean living room and the semi-normal decor. 

“Why are there towels covering the mirrors?” Bill asked.

Mike shrugged, even though he knew why, “I have no idea. Would you like something to drink?”

“Sure,” Bill said, “As long as it’s not drugged.” He laughed at his joke, and Mike stared at him silently. Normally Mike would also laugh (since that joke was funny as all hell) but Mike was a bit ticked off at Bill.

“Water, then.” Mike said. He walked to the kitchen and poured two glasses of water, acutely aware of Richie and Bill’s muffled conversation in the living room. He was not going to spy on them, though, because he could just ask the Faceless Old Woman who Secretly Lives in your Home what they said if he truly wished to find out.

He walked back into the living room and handed Richie his glass, before turning to Bill, “So, why are you  _ really  _ here, Bill?”

“To-To see you, duh.” Bill said, grabbing the glass from Mike and taking a long drink. Bill was nervous. Bill was lying.

Mike turned to Richie, “Is this true?”

Richie shook his head, “No.”

Mike turned back to Bill, “Tell me the truth, Bill. Why did you come here?”

Bill sighed, and sat down on the couch, “Mike, we care about you-”

Mike balled his fists, “No! No more of this...this shit! I am a very patient man, Bill, but I have had enough! I like it here in Night Vale, and I will be staying here in Night Vale until I figure it out! And there is nothing that you can say, or that Richie can say, or that anyone else can say that will make me change my mind. So you can either support me, or you can get the hell out of my house!” 

Mike knew he shouldn’t have yelled. The Sheriff's Secret Police were always listening, and Bill just looked so hurt by Mike’s words, but he needed to get it out somehow. Bill was his friend, not his partner and not his parent. He had to let Mike do what he had to do.

Bill nodded, and stood up, opening his arms, “I’m sorry, Mike. I know I should stop, but...I’m scared for you. I don’t want you to get hurt, and I don’t want any more of my f-family to die.”

“I’m not going to die.” Mike explained, “I know how this town works. You just need to trust me.”

Bill sighed, and nodded, “I do, Mikey. I do trust you, but...I’m going to stay. I can’t leave without you.”

Richie laughed, “Excuse me, what?”

“Yeah,” Bill said, gaining confidence, “I’m going to stay. Not here, obviously, but...I’m going to stay in Night Vale.”

Mike smiled ever so slightly. Bill was staying, because he cared about him. Probably not in the sense that Mike cared about Bill, but Bill still cared about him in a totally normal friend way. That was enough for Mike.

Richie, on the other hand, looked like he was about to cry, “But…”

“Come on, man.” Bill said, “It’s going to be alright. I’ll just text everyone and tell them to cancel their trip down here, and you can just go back home.”

Richie shook his head, “No, fuck it, I’m staying too. I trust Mike to stay alive on his own, Bill, not you.”

“And you think you can do any better?” Mike asked, cracking a wide smile.

“First of all,” Richie said, raising a finger, “Fuck you. Secondly, I defeated a demon clown not too long ago, so I’m practically Iron Man at this point. I’m like a...gay, comedian Iron Man who has no technical prowess.”

Mike laughed, and pulled both Richie and Bill into a hug. He had missed them more than he let on, and now they were going to be together in the same town for god knows how long. It was perfect.

“I’m excited.” Mike admitted, “You’ll both get to see how weird and strange this place is!”

“How awesome.” Richie remarked sarcastically. Mike didn’t take offense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in a day. Again, feel free to ask me anything about this. I've pretty much got this all figured out in terms of plot, so I'm kind of an expert on my own story, haha.


	9. Don't Bring A Knife To A Knife Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home doing these days?

The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home was very old, very faceless, and secretly lived in _your_ home. Those were just the facts. The Faceless Old Woman had run for Mayor of Night Vale, and she lost. Those were also facts, although she planned to change that last one.

The Faceless Old Woman knew a lot of things. She had lived in many homes, and she still lives in many homes. Not just in Night Vale, but in _everywhere._ Which means she knew Mike Hanlon. Which means she knew It.

How long had The Faceless Old Woman lived? No one knew but her, and she wasn't exactly keen on giving out the private details of her faceless old life to just anyone.

But she was curious. The Faceless Old Woman was focused on mayorship, but so much so that she ignored another powerful being that metaphorically lived right under her nose. She did not have a face, which meant that she did not have a nose, but if she did, she would have been angry at herself for not sniffing out a good story.

Or the connection.

_Shame on me,_ The Faceless Old Woman thought, as she watched you in your home the other day, _Shame on me for ignoring my favorite little child eater._

Of course The Faceless Old Woman didn’t like It; her thoughts were mostly sarcastic or ironic. And as much as The Faceless Old Woman _hated_ Dana Cardinal, she couldn’t help but still like Cecil, even if he was unwillingly working against The Faceless Old Woman.

Ah, Cecil. Cecil’s life was a strange one, even more so his family. The poor man hardly remembered anything about what _actually_ happened. Cecil didn’t remember his brother, Cecil didn’t remember what had happened with him. Cecil didn’t even remember why he was _in Night Vale._ He forgot so many things. The Faceless Old Woman always remembered.

Which was why she was very hesitant to speak to Mike Hanlon. That man was not as smart as she was, but he was intelligent. He could put two and two together, and as time had already shown, he could kill the “threat”. The Faceless Old Woman would _not_ allow that to happen.

She could kill Mike, but where was the fun in that? Plus, he was a human Librarian, and those were very rare in Night Vale. Not to mention Cecil, who would clearly notice the death of his roommate. Unless...no, The Faceless Old Woman could give the man a run around. Lead him in circles forever until he gave up his little hunt and retired in Florida.

But The Faceless Old Woman couldn’t focus on that right at the moment. She was a fugitive now, after attempting to kill Dana Cardinal. Really, could you blame The Faceless Old Woman? After all, she had campaigned harder than anyone for mayorship, but she lost to a Night Vale Community Radio Intern who hadn’t even ran in the first place! Dana Cardinal should have been dead! What’s an attempt on her life if it was supposed to have ended already?

Well, some would argue yes. Because now The Faceless Old Woman was a fugitive, and the Secret Police were arresting the other Faceless Old Women who did not secretly live in your home. No, they lived openly in your home, and now the Sheriff's Secret Police were arresting them! That hardly sounds fair, does it?

Well, The Faceless Old Woman was going to fix all of it. She was going to leave messages and fight against the Secret Police. It was all the rage nowadays, so hopefully an old timer like her could partake in these Millennial activities.

Still, as she fought against the Secret Police, and as Cecil reported on her rebellion, she found herself regretting. Regretting what, she didn’t know. But the feeling was there, and she thought about it the entire day.

When they let those old women go, she finally got to relax. She brought down a justice that Night Vale usually doesn’t see, and she felt pleased with herself.

Cecil didn’t have a good day. His painting of Carlos was ruined, and he was sad. The Faceless Old Woman saw it with her own eyes, and she heard about it on the radio. Mike heard about it on the radio too, and so did his little friends.

Despite their apparently extensive research on this town, they didn’t bat an eye at the mention of Carlos like she thought they would. No, they just wrote it off as a different person, because time worked differently outside of Night Vale. The Faceless Old Woman assumed that they would know better than that. She assumed that, based on their shared experience with It, they would know better than to write off coincidences with only a second of thought.

Maybe Mike’s intellect wasn't as impressive as she thought. Maybe Mike simply didn’t know. The Faceless Old Woman knew, and she could have easily pieced it together, even if she was just a clueless individual with a face.

But The Faceless Old Woman couldn’t pit two people against each other, even if one was just a different version of herself. No, she had to make a plan. She had to predict the future, and that was such a difficult task that she almost didn’t want to do it. Almost.

The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home sat down at your desk, grabbed a pen and some paper, and began Scheming. She must have worked for hours, and you didn’t even notice her. How rude!

When she was finished, you came into the room, and she was not noticed, because she lived in your house secretly. Her plan was, more or less, a functional one. It would get the job done, and it wouldn’t interfere with her other plans to take over as Mayor of Night Vale.

The Faceless Old Woman smirked, and turned to look at you. You, who are so unaware of the old woman in your home. You, who might be reading this very sentence at this very second. You don’t notice her, because she is Secret.

The Faceless Old Woman thought she would make a great spy. Honestly, if this whole Mayor thing didn’t work out, the Sheriff's Secret Police ought to give _her_ a job. She’d do wonderful; much better than those discount, “secret” police who arrest innocent faceless women.

The Faceless Old Woman left your house with an almost silent creak, and you thought you heard something, but you realized it was nothing and went back to whatever you were doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter, yay! Super excited for this one because honestly, I love Mara Wilson a ton. Loved her since Matilda, you know? Not that I was alive when it came out, though.  
> Anyway, leave kudos or comments or whatever you wish. Or don't. I don't control you.


	10. Poetry Week Callback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie thinks, freaks out, and talks to Carlos.

Eddie stared at Carlos, watching as he talked with Kevin about Science. There wasn't much that Eddie could do but watch. He had nothing with him, and most of the things that these desert dwellers made scared him. So he just watched something that confused him.

Carlos seemed like a decent person. Scratch that, he seemed like a genuine good person. It’s just that...Carlos had a boyfriend. It sounded terrible when Eddie put it like that, but that was the truth. Carlos confused Eddie, and Eddie didn’t like to be confused.

When Eddie was in Derry, saving Richie, his mind was set. He loved Richie, and he was going to save him. Eddie was going to be brave, for _once_ in his life. And he was brave, but then he died. And he was stuck in that _goddamn_ cave for what seemed to be years and years! Eddie changed. As much as he hated to admit it, he changed for the worse.

When Eddie looked at Carlos, he saw a good person. When Eddie looked at himself, he saw something dirty. Something not right. And the similarities between the two weren’t big, but they had one thing in common.

They were both gay.

Now, Eddie lived in New York City, for Christ's sake. Shouldn’t he be accepting of himself? 

“Eddie? Are you okay?”

Carlos stood in front of him, holding a clipboard and showing genuine concern for him. Eddie did not like that at all. It was so easy to say, “Yes, I’m fine”, but he couldn’t. Eddie was not fine.

“Uh...no?” Eddie spat out, unsure how to move his mouth. His hands were shaking and his heart was beating _so_ loud, and-

“Eddie,” Carlos said, suddenly springing into action, “look at me. Take a deep breath, hold it, then let it out. Can you do that?”

Eddie nodded, and followed Carlos’ instructions. He took a deep breath, and he held it for five seconds, before letting it out. He repeated this until he could finally breathe normally again.

Then Eddie felt embarrassed and ashamed. He had a fucking anxiety attack in front of Carlos, and forced Carlos to help him. Eddie felt stupid, and gross, and disgusting.

“You know you can talk to me, right?” Carlos asked, still concerned, still _caring._ Were all scientists like this?!

Eddie just left the house. He left the house he was staying in, _Carlos’ house,_ and walked into the desert. What else could Eddie do? Where else could Eddie go? There was no way to get back to Derry, and no way to get back into the real world, the world that Eddie knew.

Carlos told them that. He told them that he was stuck there too, and that he was trying to do a lot of things here. Eddie didn’t want to be stuck here. Every second he was in this world, he was away from Richie and away from his friends.

Eddie stopped walking, and fell to his knees, trying to will himself to cry. He missed them so much. He knew he did, so _why_ wasn't he crying? Was it the hot desert climate or was it Eddie himself? Was he just heartless.

“Eddie?” A faint voice asked. Eddie clenched his fists and closed his eyes.

“Eddie-”

“ _What?!_ ” Eddie snapped, opening his eyes and glaring at Carlos. Carlos’ face softened, and Eddie felt bad for snapping at him. He was only trying to help.

“Let’s get you inside.” Carlos said, like a doting mother, “I can make you something cold, and we can-”

Eddie caught him off with a sharp laugh. Despite this seemingly serious event taking place, Eddie couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re acting like a mother.” Eddie explained. Carlos nodded ever so slightly, before helping Eddie up. He didn’t need to, but Eddie let him. Eddie let Carlos take him back to the house, and he let Carlos do whatever he thought he needed to do.

“So,” Carlos said, sitting down across from Eddie on the weirdly soft cactus couch, “Is there any reason why you, erm, freaked out today?”

 _Yes,_ Eddie wanted to say, _There is a big fucking reason!_ But he didn’t. He just shrugged his shoulders and drank the surprisingly good lemonade Carlos made for him.

“That’s alright.” Carlos said, “Sometimes there isn’t a reason. But you should talk to someone about what you’re going through, Eddie.”

“You?” Eddie asked, sounding more mean than he wanted to.

“I did have a short phase during my career where I offered my services as a paraprofessional in therapeutic services.” Carlos admitted, “I’m the most qualified person here. Unless you want, say, Kevin to help you out?”

Eddie shivered. Kevin was very creepy. There was no way he’d be in the same house as Kevin, _alone._ Carlos was right, though, Eddie should talk to someone.

Eddie sighed, “Okay, then. Fine.”

Carlos smiled, “Good! I need a bit of a break too, so it all works out. Would you like to get started now?”

 _Why the hell not?_ “Why the hell not?” 

Carlos suddenly jumped into Therapist Mode, and crossed his legs, leaning slightly forward, “What was your job back in New York City?”

“Uh, is this relevant?” Eddie asked.

“I can change the topic.” Carlos said, “I just thought we’d start on a random subject, and it came up first.”

“No, I’ll...I’ll talk about my job.” Eddie inhaled, “I worked at an insurance firm as a risk analyst.”

“Did you like it?” Carlos asked.

Eddie shrugged, “It was a well paying job, and the benefits were great. What’s more to say?”

“I like being a scientist.” Carlos fiddled with a button on his lab coat, “It pays well, for sure, but I also like doing it. I have a feeling that you didn’t like your job that much.”

As much as Eddie hated to admit it, Carlos was right. He didn’t like his job. He never did. Eddie wanted to be a doctor when he was younger, and he still did.

“Yeah, I didn’t like it.”

“What would you have liked? What was the life you imagined for yourself as a kid?” Carlos waved his hands in the air and Eddie had to stifle a laugh.

“To be honest,” Eddie said, thinking back to his childhood, “I wanted to live in Colorado. It looked very clean in the photos I saw in magazines, and it seemed...accepting. Richie used to call me Dr. K, so I guess I would have become a doctor if, you know, I remembered him.”

“Do you want to talk about Richie?” Carlos asked.

Eddie shrugged again, “I...I’m not sure.”

“It’s alright if you don’t want to.” Carlos reassured him, “This is a safe place, and we can talk about anything you wish.”

“No, it’s fine.” Eddie said, a sudden burst of courage changing his mind, “I do want to talk about him.”

“That’s good.” Carlos assured him, “That’s a step forward, Eddie. What was your friendship like with Richie?”

“Ugh, confusing.” Eddie said, “Richie was a confusing person. I didn’t understand him, no one did. Hell, I’m not sure that Richie even understood himself.”

Carlos motioned for him to continue, so Eddie did.

“He was my best friend back then. Derry was a bad place, and I had Bill and Stan, but Richie was there for _me._ He teased me about my mom and my ‘asthma’ but it made me feel better, and _he knew it_.” Eddie couldn’t help but smile at it. God, he loved Richie, didn’t he?

“And, if you don’t mind me asking, what about Richie when he grew up? Did you like him then?”

Eddie’s face fell, “I mean...it was a different time. I only saw him for two days.”

“So he was different?” Carlos asked.

“Of course he was, it had been twenty seven years since I knew him last. And it’s not that he wasn't likable, it was just that he...he seemed fake. And that’s a fucking rude thing to say about your best friend, but he didn’t seem like the Richie I knew.”

“Were you the Eddie you knew back then?” Carlos asked, “Were you true to yourself when you were in Derry last?”

“No.” Eddie answered.

“Richie probably wasn't.” Carlos said, “ _When_ you go back, you’ll be able to see him again, and you’ll find that he’s probably different. What you went through, what you _all_ went through, was very traumatizing. So now that it’s over, everyone will eventually heal, and get to know each other under different circumstances. I would say that sounds nice, right?”

Eddie nodded. That did sound nice. It sounded like a dream to him. 

“But we’re stuck here.” Eddie said, “It seems like we’ve been stuck here for years.”

“I recall getting you out of the cave a month-”

“No, not that. Stan and I were in the cave for so long, I...do you think they forgot about me? Do you think they moved on?”

Carlos was silent for a second, mouth moving slightly, trying to formulate a sentence, “Time is weird here.”

“I noticed.”

“I mean that...I’ve been here for about six years.” Carlos admitted.

“Six years? Even with all this time shit going on, you’re still with Cecil?” Eddie asked. Sure, it was a bit insensitive but wow, they clearly loved each other.

Carlos frowned, and leaned back, suddenly out of Therapist Mode, “According to my calculations, every day for them is ten days for us. Which means that I’ve been here for...six or seven months. It hasn’t been that long for him.”

Eddie grimaced, “God, I’m an asshole. I’m sorry for...bringing it up.”

“No, it’s alright.” Carlos said, “I’m very confident in my ability to keep it from him, so it’s not like he has to know. But-”

The door to Carlos’ house was broken down, and Doug stormed in, clearly unannounced.

“Doug!” Carlos yelled, standing up and running over to inspect the damage. Behind Doug was Kevin, still a bit bloody and not at all less creepy than he was the last time Eddie saw him.

“Carlos!” Kevin said, in his unusually cheery voice, “We found more people! And guess what, they’re from Night Vale!”

“You broke down my door!” Carlos shouted.

“I found your little town friends!”

Carlos groaned, and turned around to talk to Eddie, “I’ve got to go, but we’ll pick this up later, right?”

Eddie nodded, and Carlos marched off, ready to be a scientist hero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Throwback to about three years ago when I had a weird headcanon that Carlos, for a short period of time, was a therapist. Projection? Perhaps. But I think it's good for Eddie in this case, so be prepared for more Therapist Carlos times, because it was fun to write!  
> Two chapters in a day once again, whoop! Anyway, thank you for reading this, I appreciate all of you!


	11. Animals We Have Yet To Invent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Richie meet Cecil. Does it go well? Also, some exciting news is revealed!

Mike was a little bit ashamed to say that Richie and Bill had not yet met Cecil. He was ashamed because Cecil had been his friend, and he was ashamed because he kept Cecil away from them on purpose. Why? Well, Mike didn’t exactly know.

Cecil was definitely not human, Mike knew that. There were not human things in Night Vale all the time, like that guy posing as a human man but was clearly a five headed dragon named Hiram. They hadn’t seen him either. Mike was a bit worried that they’d think Cecil was the Pennywise of this town.

Mike knew that  _ of course  _ he wasn't, but he only knew that because he had actually spent time around Cecil. In the beginning, Cecil was a creepy man who just appeared in his house after his shift at the Radio Station was over. Now, Cecil was a sort of odd human looking creature who had real emotions and definitely did  _ not  _ kill children. He had a niece for Christ’s sake, wasn't that proof of  _ something _ ?

But Mike was tired of keeping his two lives apart. He had never been the type to try and sneak around (unless it was for researching purposes, but this had  _ nothing  _ to do with what he was researching) so it made sense that he would introduce them to his roommate and friend at some point.

And that day was today. And Mike was very,  _ very  _ nervous about it. The Ritual of Chüd didn’t work, so Mike was sure that they wouldn’t try anything. Then he remembered that they still killed Pennywise without it. And all they had to do was shout insults at him.

Cecil was not in the best state at the moment, what with his partner off in the desert otherworld, and his whole lot 37 deal, and just the general stress of being the Voice of Night Vale. If Richie and Bill hurled insults at him, it probably wouldn’t make him small, but it would make him feel absolutely terrible. And Mike was not going to let his best friends insult his other best friend!

“So, you’ve been very secretive about your roommate.” Richie said from the backseat of Mike’s car. Mike was driving them to the station, where they would meet Cecil and go out for lunch and a nice walk. The sun wasn't gone or screaming today, so it would be lovely.

“I guess.” Mike said.

“You banging him, or-”

“Richie!” Bill yelled, “Don’t...don’t say that!”

“I’m not.” Mike said, already expecting everything that Richie could say, “He’s got a boyfriend, and he looks twenty years younger than me.”

“You’re shacking up with a twenty year old!” Richie exclaimed, leaning forward into the front of the car. Mike wanted to suddenly stop the car just to see him crash forward, but he wouldn’t. 

“He isn’t twenty. He just  _ looks  _ twenty. He’s actually almost forty.” Mike explained. He wasn't going to mention the fact that Cecil appeared to be immortal, as he was here in Night Vale  _ long  _ before Night Vale even existed.

“Damn, what’s his skin care regime? I might cop that.” Richie said, finally leaning back.

“Please stop talking like that.” Bill asked, “I’m begging you, Rich.”

“Really?” Richie asked. Mike knew what was coming.

“Yeah, Rich, I am!”

“Then perish.”

Mike chuckled, and pulled into the parking lot of the Night Vale Community Radio Station. Richie jumped out as soon as the car stopped, and Bill groaned.

“He’s going to act like a kid in a candy store, Mike. He  _ loves  _ radio stations.” Bill explained.

“I know, Billy.” Mike said, smiling at him as he unbuckled. Bill’s cheeks flushed, but Mike didn’t notice because he was already opening the door and stepping out into the silent, hot, midday sun.

Mike and Richie walked into the station, and Mike did the honor of bleeding for the bloodstone door on the way in, secretly. He would love to tell Richie and Bill about how bloodstone circles worked, but they still needed time to get used to the weirdness of the town. Bill joined them quickly, and they sat in the waiting room, waiting for Cecil to finish his broadcast. 

“We should listen at some point. To the radio.” Richie clarified, “I want to see how good he is.”

Mike frowned. Maybe they  _ shouldn’t  _ listen to the radio anytime soon, because Cecil reports on some pretty strange things daily, and it would either confuse his two friends or cause another midlife crisis. 

“Maybe not.” Mike said. The ‘On Air’ light flicked off, and the newest intern came out. Mike didn’t know her name, and didn’t want to, but she seemed nice.

“You’ve heard the good news, right?” She asked Mike, somehow aware of who Mike was.

“Uh, no?”

She smiled, and slid into the seat behind the desk, “They found a way into the desert otherworld! Which means that-”

“Carlos can come back!” Mike finished, jumping out of his chair, “That’s wonderful news!”

The intern nodded, “I know! Honestly, I’m probably going to die soon, but it’s so nice to know that Carlos can finally come back home! At least I won’t have to worry about my boss.”

“You’re going to die?” Bill asked, “Are you okay?”

The intern rolled her eyes, “I’m fine, I’ve already accepted it.”

The door opened, and Cecil walked out. Now that Mike had spent time with him, he could see his face. Mike found that Cecil didn’t really have a set physical appearance. He first appears as an ever changing person, but when you’ve seen him enough, he changed into whatever looks best for the individual.

For Mike, Cecil had a narrow face, and long, black hair. Mike’s only interaction with Native Americans was stealing from them, much like the American Government did. Mike didn’t know why he saw Cecil like this, but he liked it. And wasn't that the point?

“What the fuck?” Richie asked, stunned at Cecil’s appearance.

“Don’t be rude.” Mike whispered.

“You must be Richie.” Cecil said, offering his hand. Richie looked at it like it was going to kill him. Cecil frowned slightly, before turning to Bill, “And Bill. Mike’s told me a lot about you.”

Bill smiled, “He has?”

Cecil nodded, “Yes, he loves his  _ friends  _ a lot. He talks about you all the time.”

Mike’s face grew red with embarrassment, and he rubbed the back of his neck “Aw, don’t say that. I heard about what happened, are you excited?”

Cecil laughed, “Of course I am, but unfortunately no one can go into the Dog Park. Not unless they open it.” Cecil sighed, “I doubt  _ Mayor Cardinal  _ is going to do anything. She needs me here, after all.”

“You don’t look too happy about that.” Richie said, warily, expecting something to happen.

“I’m not.” Cecil admitted, “But let’s not worry about that today. We’re going out for lunch. Um, Allegra, I’ll be out for two hours for lunch. It should be fine today.”

“Yes, sir!” She said, cheerfully.

They walked outside together. Bill offered the front seat of Mike’s car to Cecil, and sat in the back with Richie. Mike had expected Bill to be afraid of Cecil, just as Richie was, but he seemed fine. During the short drive to Big Rico’s (still existing), Bill chatted with Cecil about his books, which were apparently different here in Night Vale.

“So, the endings aren’t terrible in Night Vale?” Bill had asked, when Cecil mentioned how much he loved the endings.

“No, they are vastly different.” Cecil explained, “I’ve read Mike’s version of the books, and they all ended terribly. But ours is way better.”

“How so?” Bill asked.

“I can’t spoil a book for you, Bill. That would go against several laws here in Night Vale. You’ll have to read it yourself.”

The lunch, for the most part, was silent. Mike tried to start a conversation, but Richie was just glaring at Cecil the entire time. The walk was the same, too. Mike kind of felt bad for Cecil, since he was so excited to meet them.

They dropped Cecil off at the station, and Mike got out to talk to him.

“I’m sorry they’re like this.” Mike said.

“It’s fine. You reacted very differently when you first met me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not used to it.” Cecil smiled sadly at him.

“You shouldn’t be used to it.” Mike told him, “Just...I’ll explain it to him. I’ll see you later tonight.”

“Bye, Mike.”

Cecil walked back inside, and Mike got into his car, and began to drive away. They sat in silence some more, and Mike was waiting for Richie or Bill to say something about Cecil. He knew it was coming.

“So,” Bill said, “Cecil seems nice.” There it was.

“He is nice.” Mike said.

“He’s got Deadlights, too.” Richie said, quietly and out of nowhere.

Mike chuckled, “Cecil doesn’t have Deadlights, Rich, you’re just overreacting.”

“I saw them.” Richie said, “They were literally floating above his head! How could you not see that, Mike!”

Bill shrugged, “He looks weird, but...I saw nothing besides that, Rich. Maybe you’re just scared that it’s another I-”

“It is another It!” Richie yelled, “He’s one of them, and Mike’s fucking rooming with it! It’s a wonder that Mike isn’t fucking dead! Hell, he probably killed that fucking scientist!”

“He hasn’t killed anyone! Don’t you think I’ve been watching him?” Mike asked, “And what fucking scientist are you talking about?”

Bill sighed, “We did some research on the town, and this scientist went missing a long time ago after he went to research Night Vale. The university he worked for kept good records, so that’s how we knew where to look.”

“The only scientist that came here to research Night Vale was Carlos, so no, Cecil didn’t kill him.” Mike explained.

“Who the fuck is Carlos, then? Because he went missing more than a decade ago and he was last heard of in Night Vale!”

“First off,” Mike started, “That’s impossible, Carlos has only been in Night Vale for three years. Secondly, he isn’t missing! We know where he is, and he’s in the desert otherworld that I was talking about earlier!”

Richie groaned, “Mike, this is confusing me, and I’m sort of an idiot, but I know what I saw, and I  _ know  _ that Cecil isn’t human.”

“I mean, obviously.” Bill offered.

Mike groaned, and pulled up to the place they were staying at, some house that Bill bought for a book signature from a fan that lived in Night Vale.

“Are we going to wait for some kids to die?” Richie asked.

Mike stared at him through the rear-view mirror, “I trust Cecil, Richie. And he is not a monster.”

Richie sighed, and got out of the car. Mike watched as Richie opened the door to their shared temporary home, and frowned sadly as he disappeared behind it.

“I’ll talk to him.” Bill said, “See you tomorrow?”

Mike smiled and nodded. Bill smiled back and followed Richie into their house. Mike watched the house for a little bit, until he pulled away and drove back to his home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's right, boyos! I had no idea how Cecil would look, so I cheated the system and made it to where you can imagine him as whatever you wish! I'm just kind of forcing my headcanons down your throat so haha. Also, what's up with Cecil guys, wish I knew (I do, but eh).


	12. Painting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Carlos talk.

Carlos had been acting strangely. Or, well, stranger than usual. Eddie did see him a lot, seeing as Eddie slept in his guest bedroom, so Eddie had a pretty good idea of what was normal with Carlos. And whatever Carlos was doing was definitely  _ not  _ normal.

They had been going to these “sessions” every day for a while, but today, it was Carlos who acted weird and secretive. Eddie, being a risk analyst, wanted to get to the bottom of it. He had to know, and he couldn’t just ask him. Carlos definitely would not answer.

Today, they were trying something new. Carlos had been just talking with Eddie while they stared at each other, but that proved to be a bit too uncomfortable for Carlos, so he decided to try painting.

Eddie was not an artist, and never had any skill besides grossly following along with Bob Ross, but Carlos didn’t seem to care.

“All you have to do is just make brush strokes. It doesn’t have to be museum-worthy, or even  _ good _ . Just painting.” Carlos explained.

So Eddie had sat down on the couch with an easel and some crudely made oil paints. Eddie had no idea how they got here, or if they even got here at all, but he just accepted that they were here now and that he was going to paint.

“Do  _ you  _ even know how to paint?” Eddie asked, right as they got started.

“I don’t.” Carlos said simply, “Cecil was more of an artist than I was.”

“Because science isn’t art?”

Carlos shook his head, “Science isn’t art. It is fact.”

Eddie nodded and continued painting. Really, his canvas was just a blue blob, so he didn’t have much.

“I have something to tell you.” Carlos said, “It’s very important, and I think you’re going to, well, like it.”

Was this why Carlos was acting so weird? Because of a surprise?

“Or maybe you won’t, I don’t know. I don’t like it that much, because, well, I’ve gotten used to having you around, and I don’t like being alone anymore.”

“What is it?” Eddie asked.

Carlos let out a sigh, “I’ve found a way to get out of the desert.”

Eddie set down his paintbrush, “You...you did?”

Carlos nodded, and Eddie could only see it because the tuffs of his hair shook slightly in front of him, “I did, but you’ll have to wait a couple of days for Cecil to get here, and then wait some more for him to leave, and-”

Eddie moved the easel to see Carlos looking...less than pleased. In fact, he looked a bit sad.

“Are you okay?” Eddie asked.

Carlos looked up at him, and shook his head, “I don’t know...I’m going to, uh, miss you guys.”

“But you get to see Cecil again.” Eddie pointed out.

Carlos smiled, “I am. I’m very excited about that, don’t get me wrong, but I feel sad about you leaving, and...I don’t know, I’ve come to consider you as a friend.”

“Really?” Eddie asked. Eddie had been a bit horrible to him in the beginning, but now they  _ did  _ act like friends, and...Eddie didn’t want to leave yet, either.

“I’m not going to force you to stay here.” Carlos continued, ignoring Eddie’s question, “You have other friends who think you’re dead, so you should go.”

“I don’t know.” Eddie said, “Maybe I should stay here until you’re finished with your research or something. I could help with construction, or I could be a ‘doctor’, or I could do lots of things.”

Carlos frowned, “But...what about Richie?”

Eddie shrugged, “When Stan leaves, I’ll just tell him to tell Richie and the others that I’m alive.”

“That doesn’t seem like a good idea.” Carlos admitted, “You should go back home, and get your life back in order.”

Eddie knew he should do that, but he found himself wanting to stay here and help. The desert wasn't the worst place to live for a while, and Carlos was really helping him feel better about the whole It debacle (to say the least). It just seemed like a better idea to stay where he was until he could prepare to go back into normal, adult life.

“I’m not ready for that yet.” Eddie said, “Just...think of this as a vacation. I’m staying here because I need a break. Does that seem so bad?”

“I mean, it doesn’t.” Carlos said, “It sounds pretty reasonable.”

“So I can stay here, just until you end up going back, though.”

Carlos frowned, “You know...that brings me to another thing. I, uh, I might stay here forever.”

Eddie laughed, “Funny.”

“No, I’m not kidding Eddie. My research shows that something  _ big  _ is going on here, and it is going to take a lifetime for me to figure out, I  _ think _ . That’s why...I plan to ask Cecil to see if he can move here.”

“Move...here?” Eddie asked.

Carlos nodded, “Kevin is working on a new radio station, and I already have a house. That’s his job, and that’s his living arrangements. And now that we’ve found a way to get to Night Vale, that means that we can still see his family.”

“What about your family?” Eddie asked.

Carlos smiled sadly, “My  _ other  _ family doesn’t talk to me anymore. But that doesn’t matter, because I’ve got Cecil, and Janice, and Abby, and-and even  _ Steve. _ ”

Ah, yes, Eddie had heard about Steve. Apparently, Cecil absolutely hated Steve. Carlos didn’t really understand why, but he had to support Cecil.

“Well,” Eddie said, “Fuck it, I’ll live here too then. I like it here.”

“It seems like you’re jumping on-”

“ _ Carlos _ ,” Eddie said, interrupting Carlos, “I’m choosing to stay here. I  _ want  _ to stay here.”

Carlos sighed, smiling, “Well, alright then. We’ll get you a house.”

“Yeah, I should probably get my own house before Cecil gets here, huh?” Eddie smirked.

Carlos rolled his eyes, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short, sorry. But what do you think about Eddie's decision? Was it stupid, or actually really smart? Is there something going on with him? And how do you think he'll react to Cecil. Only time will tell.  
> Anyway, I'm going cryptid hunting soon, so I might update a little less. Thanks for sticking with this, I very much appreciate every one of you!


	13. Connections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patty arrives in Night Vale, and things happen.

Patty ended up in Night Vale during the late hours of the night, so her first experience with the weirdness of it all was momentarily halted by the cooling darkness and the quiet town. She didn’t know about the significance this town would have, but she did know one thing. Bill, her best friend, was here, and what she had to tell him was not something that could be said over the phone. Plus, she missed him a lot. She wanted to hug him, and be near him, and even cry on his shoulder for a minute or two. So she used the rest of the insurance money she got from Stan, and bought a plane ticket to Night Vale to see Bill. Patty wished her life was normal.

It was surprising that there was a direct flight from the dingy, small city airport that Patty boarded at, but Patty paid no mind to it. She didn’t know how rare it was for a plane to actually land at the Night Vale Airport, or how hard it was to get into Night Vale so quickly.

She hailed a cab that sat at the airport, and it quickly took her to the address that Bill gave her. It was fairly windy outside, and not at all cool, which could be expected. When she stepped out of the cab, it sped away, not bothering to ask for payment. Patty looked at the road quizzically, but turned towards the house.

It was very small and quaint looking. Patty, having seen the sheer size of Bill’s main house, was a bit surprised he didn’t pick the biggest place available. Then she remembered that buying a very large house took time, and that they were going to be in and out, according to Bill. With this house in the picture, now, it seemed less likely.

She walked up and rang the doorbell, and the light through the window to the right of her flicked on, and a Bill shaped shadow walked across, before more lights flicked on, including the light above Patty. Bill opened the door a bit, and looked through.

“Patty?” He opened the door all the way and crossed his arms, “What...are you  _ doing  _ here?”

“I…” Patty thought about what she was going to say, and realized that she sounded crazy!

“Patty.” Bill said, grounding her, “What are you doing here?”

“I got a call.” She said, “It...it was from Stan.”

Bill turned pale, and pulled Patty into the house, closing the door (and locking it) behind him. The house looked very full of furniture and...even a few pictures of people Patty didn’t know. Bill really made a home here quickly.

“Nice house.” She said, looking at the photos.

“I don’t know those people. The woman who sold me the house said I could keep everything, and then she…” Bill shuddered, and Patty knew not to ask.

“Stan called you?” Bill asked.

Patty nodded, and pulled out her phone, showing him the number Stan had called her from, “He did! I swear it, Bill! I thought it was a prank caller or a telemarketer, but...it was him!”

“Call...call the number again.”

Patty sighed, “I tried, but it was just static.”

“Do it. Show it to me.” Bill said, serious as a heart attack.

Patty simply nodded, and dialed the number. Patty put it on speaker phone, and it was answered almost immediately. A man who definitely did not sound like Stan, and who was definitely sleepy, said,  _ “Hello?” _

“Uh, is...Stan there?” Bill asked, definitely more confident than Patty was.

_ “Stan? Uh... _ Oh,  _ Stan! Yes, I’ll get him. Hold on.” _

Patty’s heart leaped in her chest, and she leaned on the wall for support. She hoped,  _ really  _ hoped, that it was Stan. She practically begged for it to be him, and she knew that if it wasn't, she’d be distraught.

_ “Yes? Is this Patty?”  _ Stan, real Stan, said, equally as nervous and anxious as Patty and Bill.

“Stan?!” Patty said, tears falling down on her cheeks, “This is really you?”

_ “It is, Patty. Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Patty, I-I…”  _ Stan fell silent, unable to explain to Patty  _ why  _ he had killed himself. Patty wiped her face, and continued to cry.

“Bill explained it to me.” Patty said, voice cracking as she spoke, “I forgive you, Stan. Just...where are you, I want you to come home.”

_ “I’m not sure where I am, love. I’m in this desert, and it’s...darling, it’s empty. There’s nearly nothing here, and...I’ve yet to find a way out.”  _

Richie opened the door to his room, and stared at Patty, who was in tears, and mouthed, ‘What?’

Patty pushed the phone to Bill, and Bill took it, before asking, “Hey, this is Bill. Who’s phone are you using, Stan?”

‘ _Stan?!_ ’, Richie mouthed, stepping towards the two.

_ “It’s Carlos’ phone. He is a scientist, although I don’t know what he specializes in. He’s trapped here with us, too.”  _ Stan explained.

“Us?” Richie asked, “What do you mean us? Is Eddie there?”

_ “Richie, oh my god, I missed your voice. Yes, Eddie is here, but-” _

“Carlos!” Bill yelled, “The scientist who isn’t dead! The one Cecil was talking about!”

_ “Cecil? That’s his boyfriend, and...wait a second, are you guys  _ in  _ Night Vale? _ ”

Patty nodded, “Yes, we are. Hon, we’re going to get you out, I promise.”

“Fuck yeah, we will!” Richie yelled, “Stan, can you talk to Eddie, or…”

_ “Richie, I’ll try. He’s...he isn’t exactly keen on leaving this place. He told me that... _ if _ we found a way out, he probably still wouldn’t take it.” _

“What? Why!” Richie demanded, grabbing the phone from Bill.

_ “It’s...probably a whole slew of things. He’s been getting regular help from Carlos, and his mood is certainly brightening. You should have seen him, Richie, he was  _ bad. _ ”  _

“So, he should come back.” Richie said, “And, I don’t know, reunite with his friends who thought he was  _ dead _ !”

“Richie.” Bill said, “Calm down.”

“I won’t!” Richie yelled, “I just found out Eddie’s  _ alive  _ and he’s wanting to stay in this empty fucking desert! Away from me,  _ Bill,  _ away from  _ us! _ ” 

_ “Rich-” _

Richie tossed the phone back to Patty and stormed back into his room. Bill and Patty shared a look with each other, and focused their attention back to Stan.

“We’re going to get you out.” Patty promised.

_ “I know, Patty. I love you so,  _ so _ much. I have to hang up, because Carlos needs his phone, but I’ll be calling whenever I can.” _

Patty nodded, “I love you too, Stanley. I love you.”

Bill smiled sadly at her as she hung up, and offered his arms for a hug. She took it willingly, and they stood there in the hallway, tired and emotional, for a long time.

The next morning, Bill realized that Stan might have been lying.

“You remember when we met Cecil?” Bill asked Richie over breakfast. Patty was sleeping in his room (Bill had taken the couch) so she wasn't eating breakfast with them.

Richie scoffed, “Yeah, I do.”

“That intern from the radio station said something about a desert otherworld. And how it was  _ open _ .” Bill said, “Which means that...maybe where Stan and Eddie are isn’t as inaccessible as Stan thinks.”

“Or maybe,” Richie started, “Carlos has lied to them both and is going to offer our friends to feed his monster boyfriend! How do we know that this Carlos isn’t just another whatever-the-fuck that took the real Carlos’ look?!”

Richie could be right, but Richie was probably wrong. Bill wanted to trust Mike, though. Mike had dealt with things like Pennywise and possibly Cecil for much longer than they had, so he had to trust him, right?

“Maybe we should call Mike.” Bill said.

Richie scoffed, “Mike is probably being mind controlled or something, Bill. We can’t trust him.”

“Still, I’m calling him.” Bill took out his phone and called Mike. He answered almost immediately.

_ “Bill, hi!” _ Mike said, cheerfully. Bill couldn’t believe Richie. There was  _ no way  _ Mike was being mind controlled.

“Hey, so...uh, what’s up with the desert otherworld the intern was talking about yesterday?”

_ “Oh, well, it opened, and...well, Cecil left to go to the desert otherworld early this morning, so I’d have to ask him about it.” _

“He...left to go this morning?” Bill asked.

_ “Yes. You didn’t hear it, but...Station Management finally approved for Cecil to go, and it takes an awfully long time to actually get there, and-” _

“Do you know that Stan and Eddie are there? In the otherworld? With Carlos?” Bill asked.

_ “...they’re alive?”  _ Mike asked in a very small voice.

“We...Patty is in town, because Stan called her. So, we called again, and...he answered. He answered, and he’s alive, and Eddie’s alive.”

_ “And...god, I’ve...I’ve got to call Cecil.” _

“Mike, n-”

Mike hung up, and Bill sighed.

“He’s calling Cecil.” Richie said, “I heard. Do you believe me yet or do I actually need to do research in the library?”

Bill shook his head manically, “No, you will not go into the library!”

Richie raised his hands in defense, “Geez, fine. Okay, I won’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, they know now! Isn't that exciting? I've been trying to write this for a while, and I thought that Patty should definitely be there when they find out. And you may be wondering, where is Ben and Beverly? Well, we're going to find out in the next chapter why they haven't shown up.


	14. Points in Space and Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Beverly find themselves in a strange store.

When they figured it out, Ben was sitting at his desk and Beverly was sitting at hers. They had lots of space in the big house Ben lived in, but they preferred to be together when they worked. They hadn’t thought about their friends in, well, a very long time. Certainly more than six months. In fact, it never really came up.

It completely slipped their mind.

Beverly was emailing a representative with a modeling agency she wanted to try. She had been a bit tired of the same type of person in the clothes she made, and she wanted something new.

Ben had just been in a meeting, talking about a new apartment building he was making. Beverly had told him that he needn’t be alone, but he still refused.

_ “It’s just what I’m used to. Plus, they’re in New York. We’re in Chicago, and I’d rather not leave you anytime soon, haha.”  _

Beverly had appreciated him a lot. She wasn't used to being in a good relationship, but Ben had been very thoughtful and nice. It was pretty clear to see that Beverly had been in love with him, even a long time ago. Sure, she loved Bill, but...she loved him differently now. Plus Bill also had a thing for Mike now, so that would be pretty awkward if she still loved him.

Bill. Mike. Richie! Beverly gasped, and stood up, “BEN! We forgot about our friends!”

Ben took off his headphones, “Do you mean Adam from your job? No, I talked to him earlier, we’re going to dinner on Wednesday with him and John.”

“No, Ben! We forgot about Richie, and Bill, and Mike! They’re in...the town...fuck, I can’t remember!” Beverly put her hands on her head and tried to remember. What did Bill say? Where was Mike going?

“Night Vale!” Ben said, “Bill said it was like Derry! That’s why we can’t remember, Bev, don’t-”

“I’m not.” Beverly said, “I’m not going to blame myself. We need to leave. Cancel the dinner with Adam. I’m going to-” Beverly stopped, and looked around the room, “Ben, something’s wrong.”

Ben stood up, “What? Are you sick?”

“No,  _ I’m  _ fine, but...something’s watching us.” Beverly looked around the room, “It...I feel very...sleepy…”

Beverly leaned up against the wall and slid down it. Ben fell to the ground after moving to help her, laying on his belly in front of her. He was tired, too.

“Bev…” Ben said before his eyes fell close. Beverly tried to move her hand, but she was too tired.

“B...Ben?” She asked before her head slumped to the side and she fell asleep.

“-ello?  _ Helloooooo? _ ” 

Beverly opened her eyes and...found herself staring at a young woman. She looked more annoyed than confused or worried. And her tone of voice was, well, just rude.

“Where...where’s Ben? Where am I?” Beverly asked, sitting up. She saw Ben laying on a cot nearby, still fast asleep. She let out a sigh of relief, before turning back to the young woman, “Okay, where are  _ we _ ?”

“Dark Owl Records.” The woman answered, as if it were obvious, “My store, duh. Like, why are you two here?”

“We...where are we?” Beverly asked.

Michelle scoffed, “Night Vale,  _ duh _ . Where did you think we were? O-hio? Kan-saw?” Michelle crossed her arms, “Just, like, tell me the teleportation spell you used, and, like, I’ll let you go.”

“We didn’t use a spell!” Beverly said, “We just...passed out and now we’re in Night Vale. After talking about how we needed to go save our friends.”

Michelle groaned, “Gross, you have friends?”

“You don’t?” Beverly asked.

“Of course not! Like, I have Maureen, but she’s, like, my something. We don’t have a label for it yet, and it’s likely that we never  _ will,  _ so…”

Michelle stood up, “Shame about your spell, though. Maureen, like,  _ never  _ has time for me because of her dumb new internship. I swear, if Cecil could, like, just give her the credits she needed, then she’d, like, be here all the time! But Cecil doesn’t have time for that, apparently! He’s all mopey and sad because ‘ _ oh no, my boyfriend has been in the otherworld for a year, and I haven’t seen him in so long, oh woe is me’ _ . And that, like, means he’s never around either to buy his stupid Woody Guthrie albums!”

Beverly stared at Michelle, who was huffing in frustration over all the problems she had just told Beverly. Beverly didn’t understand most of that, but she still wanted to help.

“Maybe you should talk to Maureen about this.” Beverly offered, “And Cecil, too. It sounds like you think, maybe, he’s your friend, too?”

Michelle shrugged, “Can’t! Maureen has the new internship that demands her every attention, and now Cecil is in the desert otherworld too, because he ‘wants to see his boyfriend’.” Michelle sighed, and sat in a chair, “I don’t know, I get, like, lonely sometimes. Even though it’s cool to be alone.”

“Hey,” Beverly said, standing up and walking over to Michelle, “I understand. Maybe you can’t talk to your friend and...Maureen now, but you just have to wait until later, when you can all be together then.”

“Sounds like horse shit.” Michelle admitted, before smiling and saying, “But I believe you. After all, you’re, like, Beverly Marsh, so…”

“Oh.” Beverly said, surprised, “You know me?”

“You’re, like, a fashion icon. I’m always, like, spared from the Sphere because I’m wearing your clothes. You’re the only popular person that I like, and, like, that’s saying something.”

Beverly didn’t know what ‘the Sphere’ was, but she took it as a compliment.

Over in the cot, Ben stirred slightly, and opened his eyes, looking around. They landed on Beverly, and he sat up.

“Beverly, I-”

“We’re in Night Vale.” Beverly explained, walking over to him and helping him up, “I think that Mike was right about this place being like Derry. Which means...there’s a Pennywise around here, somewhere.”

Michelle scoffed, “Pennywise? That guy?  _ Psssh,  _ no one around here can stand that guy. We chased him out, like, years ago. Well, not  _ years  _ ago, and not ‘we’ as in  _ we the citizens who are alive now _ , but he’s not here.”

“He came here?” Ben asked, “Are you guys okay?”

Michelle nodded, “Yeah, we’re, like, fine. It was, like, so long ago, though. We learned about it in third grade, so that’s how old it is.”

“What happened?” Beverly asked.

Michelle groaned, “Okay, so like, Pennywise came in, acting like a literal and figurative clown, trying to eat the kids and all! Luckily, there was, like, no one here besides the hooded figures, City Council, Station Management, and Cecil. So, City Council was like, ‘Hey, get out of here, you clown’ and Pennywise was like, ‘No, I want to eat your kids’ and long story short, Cecil scared him away.”

“Cecil?” Beverly asked, “I thought he was your friend.”

“Oh, he is, but like, he was  _ so  _ different back then. Like, so different that even  _ he  _ can’t remember. But literally, everyone in town knows about it, and it’s this secret promise that we can’t tell him about it.” Michelle explained.

Ben turned to Beverly, and said, “Is...this what I think it is?”

Beverly nodded gravely, “I think so. Um, Michelle, have you heard of a man named Mike Hanlon?”

Michelle nodded, “Ugh, yeah, he’s like the first human Librarian we’ve ever had, so he’s kind of a celebrity here.”

“Great. Thank you, Michelle. I’ll stop by again later.”

Michelle blushed, “O-Oh? Oh, like, cool. Thanks.”

Beverly and Ben walked towards the exit of the store, ready to step into the hot summer sun before Michelle stood up and waved her hands.

“If you, like, need any help, you can always come back and ask me for, like, assistance or something!” Michelle yelled.

“Thank you, I will!” Beverly yelled back, opening the door and stepping outside. Today, the sun was very loud. It screeched against the sky, and both Ben and Beverly winced when they heard it.

“Where do you think they are?!” Ben asked.

“Mike’s a Librarian!” Beverly yelled, “So he should be in the Library! How about we go to the Library!”

Ben nodded in agreement, and they walked down the road, hand in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am alive! Here is an update for you guys!  
> Thank you for reading this! I really appreciate all of you and I hope you're safe and sound during this time!


	15. Secretly Living

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home checks in on a few people.

The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home watched as Ben and Beverly appeared. She watched in anger as Beverly woke up and pieced it together in less than thirty minutes. She certainly was smarter than the ones who came before her. But being smart in this town was not a good thing. It was a very,  _ very  _ bad thing. The Faceless Old Woman was not someone who killed very often and the thought of killing Beverly Marsh was not something she liked, but if she had to protect Cecil, she would. She would because she promised. Who did she promise? Certainly not Cecil.

She watched as they both walked down the street, looking for the Library, then she saw Mike. He was sitting at home, reading a book he stole from the Library. He did not yet have a library card. It was about Night Vale’s history, and he was reading about Cecil, who had a very BIG part of Night Vale’s history.

“Mike, did you know that your friends are going to the library in search of you?” She asked.

“Uh…” Mike said, looking around. He could not see The Faceless Old Woman.

“You can’t see me. I’m secretly talking to you.” The Faceless Old Woman said, “You should go stop them before they get massacred by the other Librarians.”

“Uh, Faceless Old Woman?” Mike asked, “This book says that Cecil has lived for...a  _ very  _ long time! That can’t be true, can it?”

“It is.” The Faceless Old Woman said, “It is very true. I wonder, what does it mean for you? Will you admit that you’re wrong, or fight for what you believe is right?”

“Cecil doesn’t eat children.” Mike said.

“He doesn’t.” The Faceless Old Woman said, “He isn’t a bad thing. In fact, most believe he is very good. Cecil believes he is human.”

“How does he eat?”

The Faceless Old Woman smiled, even though Mike could not see it, “You want the truth, Michael? Do you want to know how he survived for so long while thinking he is still human?”

Mike paused, before nodding, “I...I do.”

“The Interns.” She answered, “They die in mysterious ways, and while Cecil doesn’t directly cause those deaths, their fear goes to him. Because they signed a contract.”

“So he’s...he’s…” Mike sat down in his chair, “I’m living with the same type of creature that killed my friends.”

“You are friends with the children of those who killed your progenitors.” The Faceless Old Woman said.

“Oh...slavery?”

“No, actually, I was implying that your friends’ parents might have killed your own parents.”

“Did they?” Mike asked.

The Faceless Old Woman shrugged, “They might have. I don’t remember. But something did happen the day your parents died.”

Mike nodded, “I’ve moved on from that. I don’t want to know what happened.”

The Faceless Old Woman smiled, “Good. Well, you ought to go find your friends.”

The Faceless Old Woman then saw Richie, walking near the dog park. She was inside a house when she saw it, so she stepped outside and watched as Richie tried to open the door. The hooded figures watched as he did so, snickering to themselves.

“This place isn’t safe.” The Faceless Old Woman said.

Richie looked around for a second, before continuing to walk around the dog park.

“Really, City Council might come and eat you.” The Faceless Old Woman said.

“Eat me?” Richie asked, looking around again, “Who are you?”

“I’m The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home. And you are Richie Tozier.” The Faceless Old Woman said.

Richie looked around, “Why can’t I see you?”

“I’m Secretly behind a cactus.” The Faceless Old Woman answered.

Richie looked behind two cacti before quitting, “Why would City Council come to eat me? And if you Secretly Live, then how long have you been living in my house?”

“Years.” The Faceless Old Woman said, “Almost your entire life. I know every single thing about you, and I used to steal your comics and mixtapes, then hide them for you to find. You were good at that game.”

“I thought I misplaced them.” Richie admitted.

“You didn’t. I read your comics and listened to your music. I liked the ones about Eddie.”

Richie blushed, “Hey! What-”

“I know what you’re doing here, Richie.” The Faceless Old Woman said, “He’ll come, in time. As soon as he learns that you are looking for him, he’ll come.”

“Why isn’t he coming now?”

The Faceless Old Woman knew why he wasn't coming, she saw it happen because she still lived Secretly in Carlos’ house in the desert otherworld, “Because he found someone who he wanted to be.”

“He’s really not returning because he’s got a random cru-”

“No, Richie, it’s not a crush.” The Faceless Old Woman said, “Well, sort of. I mean, lots of people have crushes on those they look up to, and Carlos is everything he wants to be now that he has sort of coming to terms with himself.”

“He has a crush on Carlos?!” Richie screamed.

The birds stopped flying and the air went still. Night Vale didn’t like the sound of that.

“He doesn’t.” The Faceless Old Woman said, “If you were all alone, without your friends, and you’ve found a way to like who you were for once, would you ever want to leave, Richie?”

Richie thought about it, then nodded, “I wouldn’t.”

“Eddie doesn’t want to leave because he’s grown attached to liking himself in a place that likes him too. He will see, in time, that staying in a world where everything seems perfect is going to get too boring, too  _ perfect  _ for him to live in. Then he will return to the world that is not so perfect, and not so boring.”

Richie scoffed, “That’s a good speech.”

“Really? I never noticed. You should stop looking for a way to get into the desert otherworld and instead focus on how you’re going to make this world better for him to live in.”

“That’s good advice.” Richie said, “I’ll try to do that.”

“Good. I usually don’t help people, but I do remember the little boy who you used to be. I will be leaving dead rats as an offering of thanks.”

“Uh, thank you?”

The Faceless Old Woman then found herself in a strange desert. The ground shook beneath her, and rocks tumbled ever so slightly by the sheer force of the earthquake. Those who lived in this place were used to it. Cecil, however, was not.

He was sitting on Carlos’ bed and shaking along with the ground, while Carlos was getting him something that would make him more comfortable. Cecil did not know what would make him more comfortable. Carlos did.

“Cecil.” The Faceless Old Woman said, “How are things here?”

“Faceless Old Woman.” Cecil said as a greeting, “How are you here?”

“I just simply went through the dog park and into Carlos’s house.” The Faceless Old Woman explained.

“Oh...so, how are things?” Cecil asked.

“Very good.” She lied, “Some of Mike’s friends came into town. They are looking for their other friends.”

“Oh, that’s good. More friends the merrier.” Cecil said.

“Cecil, who are you talking to?” Carlos asked, poking his head into the door.

“Faceless Old Woman.” Cecil explained.

Carlos came into the room and looked around, before remembering that the Faceless Old Woman lived Secretly. He sat on the bed next to Cecil and gave him a cloth bag, “This will probably help your stomach.”

“Rice bag.” The Faceless Old Woman explained, “Very intuitive, Carlos. Now, where does Eddie live?”

“You know Eddie?” Carlos asked.

“Yes, his friends are looking for him. They figured out that he is here.” The Faceless Old Woman moved to hide in closer spaces to whisper in Carlos’s ear so that Cecil couldn’t hear, “They came to Night Vale, Carlos. Richie is looking for Eddie.”

Carlos frowned, “I…”

“Yes, he has made up his mind about staying. Which, by the way, are you going to ask Cecil to stay here while he is here, or are you going to do it sometime else.”

“So-” Carlos said, “How about we wait for this to be over then, huh? Then we could...do something else?”

The Faceless Old Woman left the room and searched for Eddie. She found him in another house, sitting at a desk and writing things down. Upon closer inspection, she found that it was a to-do list for what to tell his friends.

“Why are you in here, Eddie?” The Faceless Old Woman asked.

Eddie jumped and looked around frantically, “Who’s there?!”

“I am The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home.” The Faceless Old Woman said.

“Oh...Carlos told me about you.” 

“I am well aware.” The Faceless Old Woman said, “So, why are you here now, instead of over at Carlos’?”

“I didn’t want to bother them.” Eddie said, “They haven’t seen each other in a long time, and, well...you know.”

“I don’t.” The Faceless Old Woman said, “I hardly understand humans these days. When do you plan on going back to your home, Eddie? To your friends?”

“Since you live Secretly in everyone’s homes, shouldn’t you know why?”

The Faceless Old Woman frowned, even though Eddie could not see it, “Mike came into Night Vale because it’s like Derry.”

Eddie shook his head, “You’re lying.”

“I know what happened in Derry, Eddie. I saw it all happen in front of me as did you. Night Vale, well, Night Vale is like Derry in the aspect that it has the same creature in its midst. The creature isn’t evil, though. No, he is very good, and he only chased a man out of town once. I have been a bit...preoccupied to stop your friends from killing a citizen of Night Vale and I think I’ll need your help.”

“Just get Stan.” Eddie said.

“Stan would further complicate the situation.”

Eddie sighed, “I can’t help you. I’m not  _ going  _ to help you.”

The Faceless Old Woman glared at Eddie, then moved every furniture an inch to the right in the house he was staying in, “I can be very spiteful Eddie. I will ask this question every day until you say you will help me.”

“And every day you’ll hear me say  _ no _ .”

The Faceless Old Woman hid behind his door, “Well, you are just as stubborn as Richie said you were.”

She went back to your house and stared out of your window, thinking about what to do. She had to focus on Dana Cardinal, but it was very hard to do with all of these potential Cecil Killers on the loose. The Faceless Old Woman sighed, she could literally be in thousands of places at once. Surely she could stage a coup while figuring out another important problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day. My upload schedule is very weird, sorry.  
> Thank you for reading this and being interested in this! Yes, you! I love YOU very much!


	16. Director of Emergency Press Conferences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie goes shopping. Then attends an Emergency Press Conference.

Richie was shopping at Ralph's. Yes, it surprised him too. If it were a few years ago, Richie would just order pizza and eat that for the next three days. Unfortunately, though, Night Vale didn’t have the option of pizza delivery. The only way to get pizza was to go into Big Rico’s, and Richie was nearly one hundred percent sure that the sauce they used had mind-controlling abilities. Legally, all Night Vale citizens were required to eat Big Rico’s twice a week. Richie wasn't a citizen of Night Vale though, so he was exempt from this law.

But Richie did have to go shopping. Shopping at the Ralphs in Night Vale wasn't as strange as he thought it would be. It was almost normal. He had a basket and he put things in the basket and he paid with regular money, and he left. Sure, some of the other shoppers were literally trapped in flesh cocoons in the aisles, but Richie just ignored that and tried to walk around it.

The weirdest thing to happen on his outing was a woman in a business suit standing in front of a podium speaking fluent Russian. Her face was slack but her voice was strong and passionate. 

So much so that Richie just stood in front of her and listened to what she was saying, not understanding a word of it.

It must have gone on for thirty minutes because the ice cream that Richie had bought had melted when he became aware of himself.

“And that’s why I believe that your fingers are trying to kill you, Citizen!” The woman shouted at Richie, who was now the only person there.

“I don’t live here,” Richie responded.

“Oh…” She said, “I don’t live here too, then. I live in my own void where time is meaningless and existence is pain. Now, I call a Private Emergency Press Conference between me, Director of Emergency Press Conferences Pamela Winchell, and you…” She pointed to Richie.

“Er, Richie Tozier, Comedian?”

“Richie Tozier, Comedian.” Pamela repeated gravely, “Now, Todd, you can leave.”

Richie saw a frog with a typewriter hop away, grumbling something about how Pamela would have to still pay for the Private Press Conference. Richie noticed it over the orange dirt of the desert because it was green. 

“Are there frogs in the desert?” Richie asked, meaning,  _ ‘Are there green frogs in the desert?’ _

“Of course, Richie Tozier, Comedian.” Pamela said, “There are bugs in your lungs, and frogs in the desert. Read a book!” She smiled a wide smile and Richie shivered. She was scary.

“I meant a green frog.” Richie clarified, “There was a green frog with a typewriter. There shouldn’t be green frogs in the desert!”

Pamela frowned, “Richie Tozier, Comedian...are you being...racist?”

Richie flushed, “What?!”

“I’ll have you know that we go through great lengths in this town to make sure that none of our own is discriminated against by things they can’t change. While Todd is an exchange student from the Frog Kingdoms of Svitz, we still love him as if he is our own.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Richie said.

Pamela laughed, “Oh, didn’t you?”

“No, I just said I didn’t.”

Pamela hummed, and thought back, “Right. You did say that. Well…” She adjusted her suit and stepped up to the mic, “This is an Emergency Press Conference regarding you, Richie Tozier, Comedian, and your friends.”

“Emergency Press Conference?” Richie asked, “Aren’t those usually about, I don’t know, natural disasters or something?”

“This is a disaster, Richie Tozier, Comedian. And you are not a politician!” Pamela said, banging her fists on the podium, “The Man in the Tan Jacket told me a lot of things, Richie Tozier, Comedian! So did The Faceless Old Woman, and so did City Council, and so did Mayor Dana Cardinal. We talk a lot, we both are/were Mayor of Night Vale.”

Richie nodded, “Okay, well...that’s interesting. You don’t have to call me Richie Tozier, Comedian all the time.”

Pamela rolled her eyes all the way into her head, and rolled them back out, “Nonsense! I will call you whatever I like. Because you have changed the course of history with your poking and snooping and caring! At this rate, we might as well let all of those Strangers take us!”

“Strangers?” Richie asked, “Wait, what are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about your plan! Your plan with Cecil, your plan with Eddie! The Faceless Old Woman told me all about it! She doesn’t have the foresight I have, always dwelling on the past that one.”

Richie frowned, “I don’t have a plan with Eddie or Cecil.”

“Yet.” Pamela said, “Very big Yet. And I…” Pamela turned around, rubbing her chin and stroking her many long and weak hairs, “I will...maybe you should continue what you’re doing. No one knows what the effect of changing the future will have on the future. Maybe I should let it play out, lest we be destroyed.”

Richie tilted his head to the side, “Huh?”

Pamela turned around, “Listen, Richie Tozier, Comedian. I know how to kill Cecil, and I have decided to help.”

Richie walked back into Bill’s house to see Mike, Beverly, and Ben sitting in the living room, watching the strange shows that appeared on the television. Richie stopped trying to understand those long ago, but he sympathized with them in their attempt to understand.

He put the groceries up quickly, making sure the ice cream was put in the back of the fridge to refreeze as quickly as possible. He poured himself a nice glass of cold ice water and stood in the kitchen, fucking around on twitter.

“Richie. Ben and Beverly are here.” Bill said, appearing out of seemingly nowhere.

“I know.” Richie said, “I saw them on the way in.”

“They came here, and you’re not surprised?” Bill asked.

Richie shook his head, “No, man. They said they would, remember?”

Bill frowned, “Oh, well, you didn’t receive my text, then?”

Richie looked at his phone and shook his head, “Bill, you didn’t send me a text.”

“Oh,” Bill rubbed the back of his neck, “Well, long story short, Bev and Ben just kind of...teleported hereafter forgetting about us for a long time.”

“Long time?” Richie asked, “We’ve been here for what? A couple of months? And I’ve been talking to them this whole time!” He pulled up his texts and showed it to Bill.

Bill paled, “Richie, I don’t think that’s them. They seriously didn’t remember us until today.”

Richie narrowed his eyes, “Right, then. Well, I’ll be upstairs. I’ve got...a show to work on.”

Bill also narrowed his eyes, but in suspicion, “A show?”

Richie nodded, and walked out of the kitchen, “Yes, Bill, I’m a comedian. What else am I going to do?”

Bill watched him disappear into his room and had the vague, gut feeling that something was wrong. He just couldn’t put his finger on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about this whole thing for four days, sitting on a bunch of ideas I wanted to do. The plan is: I'm going to finish it. Then I'm going to rewrite it, polish it up a bit, change some dialog or something. Then, who knows, maybe a sequel? After all, the fourth year is the most scientifically interesting year.  
> Thank you for reading this! I know it was short, but I needed to get something out! I appreciate you all very much!!!


	17. The Truth About Me, and The Truth About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is wrong with Cecil.

One well-known fact about Cecil was that he did not sleep very much. He said this regularly on his show that he pretended to sleep most nights, and Carlos had seen him, many a night, just staring up at the ceiling or at Carlos as he woke up. If they were in a normal environment with normal people, that would be concerning. Alas, Cecil had lived in Night Vale his whole life. This was probably a normal thing.

Carlos remembered doing a small study during his first year in Night Vale. He had heard Cecil talk about how much he didn’t sleep, and he said it in such a way that made Carlos believe that  _ everyone  _ in Night Vale didn’t sleep. So Carlos went around with a notepad and a pencil (that he hid, of course) and asked the citizens of Night Vale how much they slept on average.

Surprisingly, the answer was normal. They slept eight to nine hours, with the exception of children, who slept ten hours. Most of the people within the city limits always had a good night's sleep, even if they were paranoid or nocturnal (in that case, a good day sleep). Carlos barely got five hours in himself.

Alas, nothing was abnormal in getting less than the recommended amount of sleep. Carlos didn’t have the time or emotional strength to ask Cecil a bunch of questions about his nighttime schedule, so he just let it be.

When Cecil came to the desert otherworld, Carlos was so excited to get back to a normal life with Cecil (as normal as it could be), but after nearly an hour of doing things, he just fell asleep. Just...on the bed, snoozing away.

It was strange for Carlos to see Cecil like that. He had only seen it a couple of times, and most of those were in oddly vivid dreams he had in his first year since coming to Night Vale. Of course, it was very cute, though. Carlos was having a hard time concentrating because Cecil was in his bed! Asleep!

After the first twelve hours though, Carlos started to get concerned. Time didn’t work right in the desert otherworld. Eight hours was not a lot in Night Vale time. Carlos thought that maybe Cecil was just sleeping on Night Vale time. He quickly dismissed that theory, though, because if it had been true, then all of the people currently in the desert otherworld would be sleeping for days at a time.

It seemed to be a Cecil thing.

Carlos accepted Cecil for everything he was and learned to appreciate everything he had, but he was a bit worried. What if he had fallen into a coma? How would he get back home, and more importantly, how would he survive? Night Vale only had one hospital, and that hospital did not believe in modern medicine! There was no way Carlos could take him there! Okay, Carlos was  _ more  _ than  _ a bit  _ worried!

After making sure that Cecil was breathing normally, Carlos zipped over to Stan’s hut, looking for a normal human to help him. He couldn’t exactly get Kevin, could he? If Cecil woke up and Kevin was in his face, Cecil would probably punch him or cry or do both!

“Stan!” Carlos shouted, opening the door, “Stan! I need your help!”

Stan poked his head out of his makeshift room, “Really? Another experiment? Cecil is here, Carlos, you should spend time with him.”

“No, Cecil isn’t waking up!” Carlos explained, hands moving wildly, “I mean, I don’t know what I’ve done. I’ve given him a glass of water, some food. We messed around a bit, then he fell asleep, and he hasn’t woken up!”

Stan blinked, “Uh, Carlos I think he’s just sleeping.”

Carlos shook his head, “You don’t understand, Stan. Cecil doesn’t sleep. I’ve been with him for two years, and I’ve never seen him sleep. He tells his listeners that he doesn’t sleep! Because Cecil doesn’t sleep! And now he’s been asleep for what I presume to be half a day and I’m afraid he’s fallen into a coma.”

“Not to belittle your judgment in coming to me, Carlos, but wouldn’t Kevin be more suited i-”

“Kevin is Cecil’s double, Stan! He tried to kill him!” Carlos wrung his lab coat and walked out of the door, “I’ll find Eddie, then. This is very time-sensitive.”

Stan mouthed to himself,  _ ‘Double?’,  _ then followed Carlos out into the hot, dry desert. Stan found that Carlos was surprisingly fast. He had to jog to keep up with his speed walking.

“What do you mean double?” Stan asked, “He’s his...twin?”

“No.” Carlos answered, “It’s...he’s literally his double. They don’t have the same mother, but they are very nearly the same person. Well, they were when Kevin was younger, before StrexCorp found him. Now Kevin is the Kevin you know now, and Cecil is very tame.” Carlos frowned and sped up.

He burst into the house Eddie was staying in and marched right up to Eddie, who was reading a book peacefully on the couch.

“You look up-”

“Eddie, I need your help,” Carlos said, ready to launch into another speech about what he had done. Luckily, Stan stopped him, ready to summarize.

“It seems as though something is wrong with Cecil. Apparently, he doesn’t sleep. Ever. And he has been asleep in Carlos’ bed for half a day at this point.”

Eddie cringed, and Carlos let out a squeak, “Is that bad?”

Eddie stood up and marked his place in the book by folding the corner page. Carlos cringed at this but didn’t say anything. He kind of had more important things to focus on.

“I mean...it’s not good,” Eddie said.

Carlos pushed his perfect hair out of his face, and paced quickly around the room, “Okay, okay, okay...let’s get over there, assess the situation, and come up with a plan.”

They all ran back to Carlos’ house and sprang into action. The action consisted of Eddie performing a series of tests on the unconscious Cecil and Stan trying to help Carlos away from a meltdown.

“How are you so good at this?” Stan asked, “I thought you were a risk analyst.”

“I wanted to be a doctor when I was younger.” Eddie admitted, looking away from Cecil for a bit, “I went through three years of schooling before changing my major because, well...Myra wanted me to get a shorter degree.”

“Is this really the best time to have a discussion?” Carlos asked, getting snappy. Neither Stan nor Eddie pointed that out, because they knew that Carlos was worried, and for good reasoning. Cecil wasn't responding to any stimuli, even the painful ones. Eddie knew that Cecil was one of those who could feel pain in Night Vale because Carlos told him.

They moved out into the kitchen so they could sit down and have a reasonable discussion. They all sat down on the couch, Stan next to Carlos, and Eddie across from him, like a doctor delivering bad news.

“Well, he’s not responding to anything,” Eddie said.

“I saw.” Carlos retorted.

“That probably means he is in a coma. Now, we have no medical gear here, so the best thing to do would be to take him back into Ni-”

A loud bang came from Carlos’s room, causing the power to shut off. With the light-blocking curtains, the entire house was dark. Both Eddie and Stan were getting flashbacks to their childhood. Carlos was getting flashbacks to the bowling alley.

“Cecil?” Carlos called out, “Are you okay?”

No sound came from the room, and Carlos began to move slowly towards the door. Something wasn't right here, he knew. His brain tried to come up with scientifically accurate reasons as to how or why the power outage would happen.

“Don’t go in there.” Eddie said, “Something’s wrong. I can feel it.”

Carlos shook his head. Something happened in the room, and Cecil was in there. He  _ had  _ to brave it. He stepped closer, and Eddie groaned.

“Carlos!” He hissed, whispering so something wouldn’t hear him. Stan began to back up slightly, the back of his legs hitting the couch.

Carlos stepped closer and picked up the pace. From the room, there was a strange clicking noise followed by eerie static. Yes, this had something to do with Cecil alright. For some reason, the image of the small city under lane five at the bowling alley came to his head.

Carlos peered into the room just as Eddie huffed and ran after him. Together, they both witnessed three blazing lights floating around the room, suddenly hissing and screaming now that people were actually looking at them.

Eddie pulled Carlos away, and they both fell to the floor. Something that looked vaguely like Cecil crawled out of the room, on the ceiling, on all eight of its legs chanting in an unknown language.

Carlos stared at it in horror, while Eddie pulled him away, making a break for the door. Stan was already leaping over the couch, ready to get back into the warm and unthreatening sunlight. They opened the door and slammed it shut behind them, gasping on the hot dirt of the desert outside of Carlos’ house.

“What the  _ fuck  _ is that?!” Carlos yelled, “What the  _ fucking fuck _ ?! Was that  _ Cecil _ ? Did it  _ eat  _ him?!” 

Eddie and Stan looked at each other, unsure of what to say to Carlos. He stared at both of their faces and let out a laugh that wasn't very amusing.

“I’m going back inside and I’m getting him.” Carlos said, “If you two aren’t going to help me at all, then-then...go to hell!” He spun around and walked back to the house.

“Carlos…” Eddie mumbled, following him. He wasn't going to let his friend walk into a death trap.

“What?” Carlos snapped.

“I...we…” Eddie frowned, “Stan, I swear the thing had Deadlights.”

Stan paled, “You don’t think…”

Carlos crossed his arms, “What? What are you two talking about?”

“It.” Stan said, “Pennywise. It looked remarkably like Pennywise, and it had the Deadlights, which...either Cecil was eaten or...he is-”

“He’s Pennywise?” Carlos asked, “Cecil is human. I know that. And he doesn’t eat kids. He’s a vegetarian, for christ’s sake.” Carlos lifted his hands to his head, breathing deeply, “Okay, I know you two know your stuff, or whatever, but trust me when I say that Cecil is not whatever you think he is. Not human? Sure, I’ll accept that. But he isn’t a monster!”

“He might be dead.” Stan offered, trying to console him.

Carlos glared at him, “He’s not that, either. Now, come on, let’s go in there and rescue my boyfriend, then.”

Stan and Eddie looked at each other again, as if to debate whether or not they would help Carlos. Luckily, they both decided that they would, and they followed Carlos back into the house, arming themselves with the spiked sticks Carlos kept in front of the home for decoration.

Inside, the couch was tipped over and papers were everywhere. The computer was not harmed, which Carlos seemed visibly relieved of. The clicking and static noises came from the back of the house, near the bathroom.

“Let me go first.” Carlos said, “I can probably handle him.” Eddie nodded and allowed Carlos to step ahead. 

Carlos took a quick peek into his own room and saw gross, gooey, and dark purple goo leak from the ceiling. It smelled awful, and Carlos wondered vaguely if he was ever going to get that stench out. Carlos shook his head and vanquished that thought from his head for the moment. He could worry about that later when Cecil was normal and fine.

Carlos opened the door to the bathroom and saw the thing, or perhaps Cecil, perched on the wall as if he were on the floor, digging through the trash and eating...bugs? Carlos stood there for a second before clearing his throat.

Cecil looked up at him, eyes shining brightly, the Deadlights floating up above, not screaming or hissing.

_ “Carlos, I’m afraid that I am starving,”  _ Cecil said, although it did not sound like he said it. It sounded pre-recorded. Like someone took audio of Cecil speaking and clipped it together.

“Uh...what do you need Cecil?”

Cecil lifted his head up high, higher than Carlos thought it could go, and sniffed,  _ “Well, I need...oh, wait...no, I’ve got it. Fear.”  _ The Deadlights turned impossibly bright, and Carlos shielded his eyes. Then, a thump and a crash, and a human groan.

When the light faded, Carlos lifted his hands from his eyes to see Cecil, normal, alive, and barely conscious. He was sitting up slightly and gagging at the taste in his mouth.

Carlos let out a relieved sigh, and knelt down beside him, “Are you alright? Do you feel okay? Do I need to do something?”

Cecil looked up at him, and whispered, “Erm, tell me how I got into the bathroom, please?”

Carlos’s smile dropped, “You don’t….you don’t remember?”

Cecil shook his head, “No. I had the strangest dream, though. I never had one before, didn’t really see the point in them until now.” Cecil whistled, “Wow, should have started sleeping a long time ago.”

Carlos nodded, “Well, let’s get you out of here, okay?”

Cecil smiled up at Carlos, oblivious to everything that just happened, “Alright, my dear Carlos!”

When they walked out, Eddie and Stan launched into questions, but Carlos dismissed them. He told them that they could leave now and that he’d be in contact with them later. Carlos did want to know what exactly Cecil was but right now, he just wanted to be with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, that was a big one, huh folks? I got the title of the chapter from Touch Tone Telephone by Lemon Demon because their song was stuck in my head.   
> Well, let me know what you thought of this. I'd like to hear your input! I love you all!


	18. Don't Be Afraid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stan and Cecil are walking.

Stan was a bit terrified to be alone with Cecil when they began their trek back to Night Vale together. Carlos assured him that everything would be fine and that Cecil had shown no sign of turning into a spider thing but Stan was still worried.

For the first hour of their walk, Cecil was silent. He could sense the awkwardness, and Stan thanked him for not trying to make conversation. Carlos had told Stan that Cecil was very talkative since it was his job. Carlos then went on a monologue about how very nice it was sometimes that Cecil would just drone on about the most simplest things. Stan, being a very respectful and polite man (especially to his savior from The Cave, as it unofficially were) stayed and listened to Carlos’ monologue. Stan doubted that it would be that comfortable to Stan as it would be to Carlos, so silence was all there was. 

Until Cecil started speaking.

“You are friends with Mike, yes?” Cecil asked.

Stan nodded, “That I am.”

“Good. Neat. I’m roommates with Mike. He’s a Librarian.”

Stan nodded. He didn’t actually know if Mike was a Librarian until now, “How fun. Does he like it?”

Cecil shrugged, “I’m not sure. I wouldn’t like it if I worked next to terrifying creatures, such as Librarians, but Mike seems to have it pretty well handled. He’s even created an outreach program where he checks out Library books outside of the Library. And he doesn’t slaughter innocents after an overdue book.”

Stan had been informed that Night Vale was very different from other towns, so he assumed this was one of the many weird cases Mike had come across.

“Have you met my other friends?”

Cecil nodded, “I have. I reported on all of them, as is the way of a journalist such as myself. Richie, Bill, Patrica, Beverly, and Ben, I recall. In person, I’ve met Bill and Richie, though. Richie seems...nice.”

Stan recognized the hesitant look immediately. Richie was a difficult person to get along with at a young age. Maybe it followed him into adulthood.

“I remember him as an annoying thirteen-year-old.” Stan said, “I have no idea how he’s like now...would you tell me?”

Cecil was frowning. That wasn't a good sign, was it, “Uh, what’s Richie like, C-”

“He doesn’t like me.” Cecil said, “Which, that’s okay, I was taught that people don’t always like you and I’ve come to accept that, but...I care about what he thinks of me! Mike is my friend, and I want his friends to like me too!”

Stan wanted to laugh. It was crazy to see a monster like Cecil be afraid of what someone like Richie thought. It was...human. Stan was starting to think that he understood where Carlos was coming from.

“Well, for what it’s worth, I like you.” Stan said, “And I’m much more sensible than Richie, so that counts for something, right?”

Cecil let out a squeak, and they ended up talking to each other on the entire way back, which was really saying something for Stan but not, oddly enough, Cecil. To give credit, Cecil was actually an interesting person. Stan deduced that Cecil didn’t seem to notice that he wasn't exactly human, what with the odd mentions of Seeing Ben and Beverly but not actually meeting or seeing (with your two, normal, human eyes) them in person. 

And Cecil was very helpful! He offered to launch Stan over the ten-foot wall of the Dog Park and even caught him when he jumped down. 

Being in Night Vale, the closest place to normal he had been in since he died, was like a breath of fresh air. Cecil told Stan that Night Vale was a hard place to leave, and that it would take multiple tries, but Stan still felt happy and relieved.

“I’m back.” Stan said, laughing, “Oh my god, I’m back! I’m alive!”

Cecil was smiling at him, happy that he was also back in his hometown, “Yes, and now you get to see your friends again! Mike tried calling me but he couldn’t get through, strangely. Well, I’m sure it won’t ever come up again.”

Stan nodded, “Right. Well...do you know where my friends are?”

“I know, yes. Would you like me to take you to them?” Cecil asked.

“No need.” A voice said. Cecil and Stan turned around to see Mike, sitting in his car and with Patty, both having just gotten there. Stan dropped his things and ran towards his wife. Both Cecil and Mike watched as Stan picked her up and swung her around, both crying because they had both missed each other so very much.

After Cecil discreetly wiped his nose and eyes, he had turned to Mike.

“You tried calling me,” Cecil said, Stan still somehow listening over the current hugs from his wife.

“I did. I got a weird message and a weird photo. It’s...probably best we’d leave it at that, but I called to tell you that my friends, Eddie and Stan, they’re alive. But you brought one home, so...no need.”

“I did do that, huh. Well, I’m glad to be of some help, but I am very tired and I would like to go to sleep.”

Stan froze and Patty pulled back just a bit to ask, “Stanley? What’s wrong?”

“Erm, Mike?” Stan asked, “Would you please stay with me tonight. I, uh, miss you. Very much. And I would like for you to hear about the weird things I’ve been through.”

Mike nodded, “Of course, Stan.”

Stan let out a sigh; he had dodged a bullet. Stan would have to call Carlos and tell him about the recent development in Cecil’s sleeping habits. But for now, he was just going to take his friends back to whatever house they would be staying at and be with them for the first time in over twenty-seven years.

As Stan walked away from the Dog Park, he felt happy and calm. In the corner of his eye, however, he saw a woman, faceless, frown at him and his friends, before disappearing from sight altogether.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't like this chapter very much, but I had to give you guys something instead of sitting on my butt all day thinking of giving you guys something. So...here it is??   
> Also sorry, but I've made Cecil out to be a sort of Jon(TMA)/Pennywise fusion. Totally accidental. Sorry.


	19. Black and White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stan and Patty convince Mike not to do something drastic. Richie reflects.

Patty sat with Stan in the back seat of Mike’s car, unable to leave her husband’s side. She was happy. She was really happy and relieved. She held his hand even tighter, and he looked down at her, smiling.

“Bab-”

Patty shook her head, “Nope. Your ‘baby love’ rights are revoked, Stan.” Mike laughed from the front seat, and Stan smiled even wider. She was so happy.

“How was your time over there?” Mike asked, looking at both Patty and Stan from the rearview mirror.

“In the desert otherworld?” Stan asked.

“Sure, since that’s what everyone is calling it. How was it over there?”

Stan looked away for a second, just enough for Patty to notice and get concerned, before he looked down at her, “It was fine. I was...mostly recovering from…” It went unsaid.

“So Carlos was a good host?” Mike asked.

Stan nodded, “Yeah, he was very nice. He freed us from the cave, gave me a house, gave Eddie some pretty sound therapy. It was good.”

“And Cecil?” Mike asked, staring intensely at Stan, waiting for his answer.

“Well…” Stan leaned ever so closer to Patty, “Something weird happened with him.”

“Weird as in bad?” Patty asked, very concerned. Stan shook his head. 

“Weird as in...weird. Something happened to him, and there was a moment when...honestly, I thought Pennywise had followed us. Carlos fixed it since he’s a Scientist, and Scientists are always fine, but…”

“What exactly happened?” Mike asked.

“Mike!” Patty snapped, “Give him some time before you ask questions.”

“No, it’s alright.” Stan said, “Cecil just kind of...became a spider thing for a second. Well, that was after he was sleeping for a dangerous amount of time, so much so that both Carlos and Eddie thought he had fallen into a coma.”

Mike sighed, “Thanks, Stan. I...I guess I needed to see that. I guess I’ve been in denial.”

Stan frowned, “Denial?”

“Stan, Cecil is the reason this town is so weird. He’s...he’s Night Vale’s Pennywise. He’s an It.”

“And...you’re going to kill him?”

“What else can I do?” Mike asked, “If I killed him then people wouldn’t die!”

“But what about Carlos?” Stan asked, “What about him?”

“And Janice.” Patty added, “And Old Woman Josie, and Abby, and St-”

“How do  _ you  _ know this?” Mike asked.

“I know this because I listened to the radio.” Patty answered, “They played back his best moments, and all of those best moments involved his family and friends.”

“You can’t kill him.” Stan said, “He doesn’t even know what he’s doing, he told me that himself.”

“That he doesn’t remember? That sounds lik-”

“He told Carlos that himself, Mike! Do you actually think he’d lie to Carlos about that?” Stan yelled.

Mike looked down at the wheel, and shook his head, “No, I don’t.”

“He’s your friend.” Patty added, “He trusts you, you know.”

Mike nodded, “You’re right. I’m...I shouldn’t kill him. I should do the opposite.”

Stan let out a sigh of relief, “Thanks, Mike. Really.”

Mike shrugged, “No big deal.”

Patty thought it was a big deal. Patty knew that Mike and Stan thought it was a big deal. And that was because it was. She hadn’t dealt with Pennywise, but she knew from the way her husband had died and the things that Bill had told her that he was evil. From what Patty had heard on the radio, Cecil was anything but.

Richie had hugged Stan tightly when he came through the door. He missed his friend very much and was very glad he was alive. He didn’t ask about Eddie or about his time in the desert otherworld, because, well, because Richie already knew.

Pamela had given Richie a sort of spell. “It’s not like magic,” Pamela had said, “But it sort of is.” The spell, from what Richie could understand, took off the protective shields that kept Cecil from becoming It. Cecil wasn't in town when he performed the spell, but he knew what had happened from the weird earthquake that happened after he performed it.

During the entirety of this process, Richie felt like he was doing something wrong. Pamela had told him that this is what time had intended for him to happen and that he literally had to do this.

“Yeah, but...why?” Richie asked, “Mike says Cecil isn’t killing anyone.”

“Time also said that he probably never  _ would  _ kill anyone, but does not killing someone mean that you’re good?”

Richie kind of got what she was saying, but he also didn’t really understand it. Really, Pamela was running everything, and Richie was just the one following orders.

He was grumpy because Eddie wasn't coming home.

Eddie had called Bill when Stan had left, Richie heard it from the kitchen. He apologized to Bill and to everyone and said that he was going to wait to come back because he wasn't ready. Being impaled through the stomach could do something to a guy.

Bill explained this to Richie, even though he had heard it. Eddie was Richie’s best friend, and Richie trusted him, but he still felt bad. Like maybe Richie wasn't enough to help Eddie. Like maybe Richie had failed to save him in the first place.

The months of therapy were not helping in this case. Every bad habit Richie had was coming back slowly, and that spell, the book that Pamela gave him, was just enough to keep him holding on to something good. To something that will get his friends, no,  _ family  _ out of Night Vale forever.

So Richie did what he was told to. That made him a bad guy, sure, but the world usually wasn't as black and white as it seemed. Good people made bad decisions. Bad people made good ones too. Richie thought he was doing what needed to be done; Mike thought he was doing what needed to be done, and everyone else thought they were doing what needed to be done.

Where is the bad in that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm terrible at writing Stan. Sorry.  
> But apparently I am good at writing reflection. I should keep that in mind for later. Also: I've got two WTNV fics. Yay? I am still going to work on this, so don't worry about that.


End file.
